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Pre-season Friendlies
Jul 30, 2019 at 6pm UK
 
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Mata (92' pen.)

Late Juan Mata penalty gives Manchester United win over Kristiansund in Oslo

Juan Mata scores a 92nd-minute penalty as Manchester United beat Kristiansund 1-0 in Oslo to make it five wins from five in pre-season.

Manchester United have maintained their winning run in pre-season with a 1-0 victory over Kristiansund thanks to Juan Mata's penalty in the second minute of stoppage time.

The Red Devils had seen off Perth Glory, Leeds United, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur ahead of this friendly at the Ullevaal Stadion, but they struggled to find a way through in Tuesday's match.

Scott McTominay struck the post in the best of United's first-half opportunities as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave 22 members of his squad a run-out in their penultimate friendly of the summer.

Kristiansund, who brought on Solskjaer's son Noah late on, were unable to hold on for a famous result as second-half substitute Mata won a penalty that he successfully converted late on.

Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Kristiansund's Torgil Gjertsen in action during a friendly in Oslo on July 30, 2019© Reuters

Kristiansund boast the best defensive record in the Norwegian top flight and that showed in the first half as United failed to find a way through.

Jesse Lingard curled a shot wide, Phil Jones had a deflected header easily dealt with and Anthony Martial's long-ranger was parried to one side.

United grew more and more into the game as first half wore on, though, and if not for some fine goalkeeping from Sean McDermott they would have been ahead at the interval.

McDermott was equal to a couple of Marcus Rashford attempts, including a 25-yard free kick, and he also denied Martial from a promising position.

With the pressure building at the end of the first period, McTominay fired a shot inches over the bar and then thumped his next attempt against the frame of the goal.

Solskjaer opted against making any changes at the interval but his side picked up from where they left off as Rashford's shot was saved by substitute keeper Serigne Mor Mbaye 30 seconds into the second half.

Mbaye also thwarted another Rashford shot on the hour, this time from further back, and Daniel James was likewise blocked, then United were fortunate not to concede when Sondre Sorli headed wide from a glorious position.

Further opportunities fell United's way, with Axel Tuanzebe wasting two headed chances and Mason Greenwood also coming close before Mata won the contest.

The Spanish midfielder latched on to Paul Pogba's through-ball and was brought down by Andreas Vaikla after rounding the substitute goalkeeper, gifting him the chance to keep United's momentum going by tucking away the resulting penalty.

KRISTIANSUND (4-3-3): McDermott (Mbaye 46; Vaikla 87'); Coly (Williamsen 87'), Ulvestad (Sormo 46'), Psyche (H. Gjesdal, 67), Aasbak (Sorli 46'); Cirak (Hoven 67'), Diop, Kalludra (Sivertsen 46'); Bye (Olsen 65'), Kastrati (Amang 46; Solskjaer 87'), T. Gjertsen (Isaksen 70')

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea (Romero 60'); Wan-Bissaka (Dalot 60'), Jones (Tuanzebe 60'), Lindelof (Greenwood 60'), Shaw (Young 60'); Matic (Pogba 60'), McTominay (Rojo 60'); James (Fred 60'), Lingard (Chong 60'), Martial (Mata 60'); Rashford (Pereira 60')

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