Manchester United have continued their successful pre-season under the management of Louis van Gaal, defeating Liverpool 3-1 to take home the International Champions Cup trophy.
While the cup isn’t as distinguished as the Premier League trophy United will be gunning for when the season begins later this month, they still put on a strong performance that fans will hope they can continue after last year’s torrid run of form under the much-maligned David Moyes.
After they conceded a first-half penalty from Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney scored an excellent volley to equalise before Juan Mata and substitute Jesse Lingard bumped up the final score to 3-1.
Liverpool, who struggled offensively following star man Luis Suarez’s transfer to Barcelona and the absence of Daniel Sturridge, dominated the first half, though it was United who eventually came out on top following a confident 3-1 victory against Real Madrid in the tournament’s semi-final.
One of the bigger talking points to take away from the match was the new and improved Ashley Young, who after scoring a brace against Madrid yet again seemed confident behind the ball under the tutelage of Van Gaal, effortlessly switching wings and proving to be one of the star players in the pre-season tournament.
While Man U’s securing of the International Champions Cup will serve as little more than a pat on the back before the real test begins, it will surely serve as a boost of confidence to a team that has struggled to keep a level head since Alex Ferguson’s departure. Talking to ManUtd.com, Louis van Gaal pointed to the future for the club, saying: “I think we gave a lot of pleasure to the fans and that’s very important. Of course, it’s better to win than to lose in pre-season but the most important game is against Swansea City. That’s the one we have to win.”
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