Ange Postecoglou spent the whole week talking about how his A-League All-Stars would not be overawed by facing Manchester United in the league’s inaugural offseason extravaganza. If they weren’t overawed, they should have been. The English visitors waltzed past the A-League’s Representative XI 5-1 before 83,127 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
A-League All-Stars crushed by Manchester United
The English visitors cruised to a 5-1 victory giving David Moyes his first United victory. Besart Berisha scored the lone A-League goal.
Matt King
The score line does not indicate how close the All-Stars came to keeping the match close before the hour mark as Thomas Broich narrowly missed and Pedj Bojic forced a nice Anders Lindegaard save in the first half while Besart Berisha had a good chance with a poor result just moments after the break. In the end, though, it was only Berisha’s 52nd minute goal that even included the All-Stars on the score sheet.
Jesse Lingard opened the scoring for United in the 11th minute, providing the first goal for David Moyes in his new tenure, and setting the visitors on a high scoring course. Danny Welbeck added his first goal in the 33rd minute, leaving United ahead 2-0 at half-time. Berisha’s goal provided brief hope for the All-Stars but Lingard scored a brilliant second just two minutes later to restore the two-goal lead.
Robin Van Persie entered to great reception in the 63rd minute and provided the visitors with its final two goals. In the 71st minute, his corner cleanly found Welbeck’s head for a 4-1 lead before scoring himself in the 86th minute to complete the rout and send United off in style.
Every All-Star played in the game, save Mark Bridge, who remained on the bench throughout. Postecoglou set up in a 3-5-2 set with Broich paired up top with his Brisbane Roar teammate Berisha. For United, only David De Gea did not make an appearance in the Red Devils’ first game in Australia since 1999.
Scoring:
MUFC Lingard (Cleverley) 11’
MUFC Welbeck (Giggs) 33’
AL Berisha (Broich) 52’
MUFC Lingard (Giggs) 54’
MUFC Welbeck (Van Persie) 71’
MUFC Van Persie (Januzaj, Lingard) 86’
Lineups:
A-League: Covic (Theo 46’); Boogard, Topor-Stanley, Beauchamp (Chapman 84’); Bojic, Emerton (Currusca 84’), Miller (Celeski 46’), McGlinchey (Grant 61’), Rose (Risdon 62’), Broich (Williams 73’), Berisha (Ifill 73’)
Unused: Bridge
Manchester United: Lindegaard; Rafael, Jones, Ferdinand (Keane 46’), Evra (Fabio 76’); Carrick (Anderson 71’), Cleverley, Zaha, Giggs (Van Persie 62’), Lingard; Welbeck (Januzaj 71’)
Unused: De Gea
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