MELBOURNE : Manchester United’s bright pre-season form under new manager Erik ten Hag continued with a 4-1 win over Australian side Melbourne Victory in a friendly on Friday.
Having thrashed a flat Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok on Tuesday, United shrugged off an early Victory goal with a two-goal burst late in the first half.
Substitute Marcus Rashford grabbed a third late on at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a Victory own goal saw the hosts slump to a heavy defeat.
For all the goals, it was a largely workmanlike display from United, who made heavy weather of the four-times A-League champions for parts of the contest in front of a heaving crowd of more than 70,000.
Victory had the best of the early exchanges and went ahead after four minutes when Chris Ikonomidis latched onto a Ben Folami cross and fired past Tom Heaton, replacement goalkeeper for the injured David de Gea.
United soon steadied, however, and began peppering the Victory goal.
Bruno Fernandes was denied by a fine save by new Victory goalkeeper Paul Izzo 25 minutes in but Scott McTominay put United on the board a few minutes from the break, benefiting from a deflection that looped over Izzo.
Anthony Martial slotted United’s second in injury time from close range after a neat flick from Anthony Elanga.
“We’re still learning, we’re still adapting to the ways that he wants us to do things,” McTominay said of Ten Hag.
“Obviously the boys are really happy and they’re training really hard and obviously that comes with it, the joy of playing for United and a new coach as well.”
Centre back Harry Maguire was back in United’s starting lineup and played for a half after being rested from the Liverpool match with an unspecified injury.
He was one of three changes to the starting 11 from Bangkok, along with Heaton and Elanga.
Ten Hag made a raft of substitutes for the second half and the match meandered until Eric Bailly laced a neat through ball to Rashford who snuck a low shot under a lunging Izzo in the 78th minute.
A roar went out from the Victory crowd as new recruit Nani, the former United winger and Champions League winner, was substituted on with a few minutes left.
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