Manchester United go face Atletico Madrid dis weekend for Sweden as dem continue dia pre-season preparation for 2026-27 campaign. Di Red Devils don already play two matches: dem lose 1-0 to Wrexham and bin beat Rosenborg 5-0.
Against Rosenborg, four academy prospects bin score, including 19-year-old Shea Lacey. Joshua Zirkzee bin score one sublime solo goal wey be highlight of di victory. Manager Michael Carrick say im dey happy with di team progress: ‘Two games in, two weeks in, I think we can take where we are and we’re pretty happy.’
But dis weekend go be different, even though Atletico no get plenty senior players. Atletico bin start dia pre-season wit comfortable win over Getafe, and dem don dey busy for transfer market. Di Spanish side bin finish fourth last season, 25 points behind champions Barcelona. Diego Simeone side go wan compete with di top two.
Historically, Man U never beat Atletico for competitive matches – four meetings, no victory. Di most recent na di 2022 Champions League round of 16, where Atletico edge am 2-1 on aggregate.
Atletico go still dey work into dia summer. Key man Julian Alvarez no dey, and Simeone go likely use academy starlets. United also get gifted young players, plus senior stars. Some new faces fit show for Sweden.
United don play one extra game, so maybe dem get advantage. If e come down to battle of starlets for second half, many go back United’s youngsters. Prediction: Man U 3-1 Atletico.
Carrick don dey give minutes to some likely starters. New signing Youri Tielemans go fit make im debut dis weekend. Im don join di team for Sweden alongside compatriot Senne Lammens, who go wan forget di fatal error wey cause Belgium elimination for World Cup.
Strong defensive line start against Rosenborg, while Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu dey for flanks. Benjamin Sesko no dey, so Zirkzee go lead di line again. Fans dey eager to see 15-year-old attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel.
World Cup finalist Lisandro Martinez dey deal wit thigh injury, and Matthijs de Ligt no go recover from back issue until autumn.
Man U predicted lineup: Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Mbeumo, Lacey, Dorgu; Zirkzee.
Atletico no get several internationals wey bin dey for World Cup deep runs, including Alex Baena, Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone, and Alexander Sorloth. New signing Alejandro Grimaldo no available. Another new arrival, Morten Hjulmand, don make di roster, but e too early for Lee Kang-in, wey join from PSG earlier dis week.
Plenty academy stars dey di roster, but also experienced heads like Koke, Jan Oblak, and Thomas Lemar. Di club don say dem no go sell Julian Alvarez to Barcelona dis summer, and dem expect di striker to report for pre-season on August 10.
Atletico predicted lineup: Oblak; Dominguez, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Mendoza, Hjulmand, Koke; Martin, Esteban, Lookman.
