Man United 3-1 Burnley: 3 Talking Points From Behind-Closed-Doors Friendly

Man United registered a convincing win over Burnley on Tuesday in a behind-closed-doors friendly fixture.

Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Fred scored the goals for the Red Devils which were more than enough to trump the Clarets’ lone goal. Jadon Sancho was named among the starters with senior players such as Harry Maguire and Martial also featuring in the starting XI.

Here are three key points from the fixture that will offer more insight:

1. Jadon Sancho Gets A Valuable Start

Although the Englishman started the match, there were no notable contributions from him in terms of goals or assists.

However, Sancho earned valuable game-time which will help him reach maximum match-fitness sooner. Meaning, he can finally earn his first competitive start for the Mancunians.

 

2. Raphael Varane’s Debut Continues To Evade Him

At this point, there have been more official announcements of Raphael Varane’s transfer to United than he has been seen in their jersey.

The Frenchman was not involved in the friendly in any manner, which may put off his debut further away as he will need to regain match-fitness.

 

3. Fred Is Making A Case For Himself

The Brazilian continues his goal-scoring form as he netted his second goal in the last 2 matches he was involved in. Fred scored the final goal against Leeds United during the opening week and has picked up right where he left off.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job of picking the starting XI will only get easier if Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Fred all continue their great form.

 

Usually, friendlies in the midst of an ongoing league campaign are quite rare. But with the Old Trafford outfit having a significant number of players who joined preseason late means those players will get a good opportunity to get back to their 100 percent.