Manchester United kick off their pre-season schedule with a 0-0 draw against rivals Leeds in Stockholm, Sweden.
Ruben Amorim named a strong XI which included Matheus Cunha following his £62.5million move from Wolves.
Meanwhile, the Whites also debuted new boys Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha from the go.
Amorim changed his entire team in the second-half, but they continued to struggle to break down Daniel Farke’s side
In the end, neither side could find the back of the net in what turned out to be a dull encounter.
Here, Mail Sport’s AADAM PATEL assesses things we learned from both sides.
Manchester United kick off their pre-season schedule with a 0-0 draw against rivals Leeds
Matheus Cunha made his first appearance for Man United after his £62.5m move from Wolves
Ruben Amorim changed his entire team in the second-half but his side continued to struggle
THINGS WE LEARNED (LEEDS)
A bright spark
Leeds were strong in their 4-3-3 shape for much of the afternoon, despite not having an attempt on goal in the first half.
That changed in the second half with Largie Ramazani, who came on for Jack Harrison, making an instant impact and coming close on a number of occasions but he lacked that killer finishing edge.
That said, it was exactly the kind of spark that Leeds will need in the final third if they are to stay up. It’s early days but it would have pleased Daniel Farke to see the system work fairly well against an established Premier League outfit.
A word for right-back Jayden Bogle too, who was thoroughly impressive all game and was unlucky not to score when his second-half effort was saved by Tom Heaton.
Largie Ramazani made an impact after coming on and came close on a number of occasions
Cold reception for Harrison
It was certainly interesting to see Harrison start for Leeds United, after returning from his loan spell at Everton.
Harrison, who twice decided that he didn’t want to be at Leeds in years gone by, was booed by the majority of the Leeds fans here in Stockholm on his first appearance since relegation in 2023.
It would not come as a surprise if Harrison moved on this summer and Mail Sport understands that the situation with Harrison is ‘complicated’.
The same can’t be said of Patrick Bamford whose time at Leeds is set to come to an end.
Bamford was informed by Daniel Farke that he would not be part of his plans for the upcoming season and didn’t travel with the squad.
Jack Harrison has returned to Leeds after spending last season on loan at Everton
Nmecha impresses
Sticking with strikers, early signs indicate that Lukas Nmecha will be Farke’s preferred man up top.
Nmecha was a handful for United in the half that he played and showed his ability to hold the ball up. There were some neat touches from the German, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, even though he probably didn’t get the service that he would have liked.
With Leeds likely to not enjoy as much control as they did in the Championship against most of the Premier League clubs, that hold up play will be essential in the season ahead.
THINGS WE LEARNED (MAN UTD)
Frustration for Cunha
Welcome to Manchester United, Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian wore the number 10 shirt, following in the footsteps of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and of course, Marcus Rashford.
Matheus Cunha showed glimpses of his quality but the lack of quality from United was clear
Here, on his debut after his £62.5M move from Wolves, Cunha showed glimpses of his quality when he got on the ball but the lack of quality from United’s midfield was a timely reminder of just how challenging life could be.
On the brink of half-time, he thought he had his opportunity to get a debut goal but Chido Obi took the shot and scuffed it wide, much to the displeasure of the new signing.
Uninspiring Red Devils
Yes it is only pre-season but for most of the afternoon, it was hard to tell which team was the established Premier League outfit and which team was newly promoted.
Ruben Amorim changed his entire side at half-time in what was a pre-meditated move and though his side had more attempts on goal, they struggled to get in behind Leeds and create any major chances.
During both hydration breaks, Amorim was in deep conversation with a number of his players.
Remember, this is his first pre-season as United boss and he won’t need telling that come this time next month, the pressure will properly be on if his side don’t start well.
It was hard to tell which team was the established Premier League outfit and which team was newly promoted
Bright Leon debut
One of the few positives for Man Utd was new signing Diego Leon. Most of Leeds’ first-half play came down his side and the 18-year-old battled well with Wilfried Gnonto.
In the 45 minutes that the Paraguayan played, he was up and down the left flank, winning all of his tackles and also creating a couple of chances.
His disguised pass to tee up Chido Obi was a particular standout on a day where United lacked quality in the final third. The wing-back still has plenty of learning to do but all in all, this was a promising start.
