Following a stellar pre-season tour across Asia and Australia, Manchester United are heading back to Europe to meet Atletico Madrid in another high-profile friendly.
Man Utd’s penultimate pre-season fixture, scheduled to take place at the Ullevål Stadion in Oslo on Saturday, July 30, will give them an opportunity to avenge last season’s Champions League knock-out heartbreak.
Led by departed interim boss Ralf Rangnick, the Red Devils suffered a 2-1 aggregate elimination to Diego Simeone’s Atletico in the competition’s round of 16.
However, much has changed at Old Trafford since that defeat, with newly-appointed manager Erik ten Hag sparking hope among the club supporters of a new winning era.
Despite lacking the services of wantaway superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the Premier League heavyweights have excelled this summer, racking up two wins from three pre-season friendlies (D1).
On the other hand, Atletico got their warm-up campaign off to a flying start, courtesy of a 4-0 demolition of Spanish lower-league side Numancia in midweek action.
Simeone’s team experienced an awful defending La Liga season in 2021/22, finishing third in the standings, a whopping 15 points behind winners Real Madrid.
How to Watch Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United?
The upcoming clash in Norway will be available to watch live online via football streams.
Match Preview
Atletico Madrid
Despite a trophyless 2021/22 season, Los Rojiblancos have had a relatively quiet transfer window thus far.
Axel Witsel joined the club on a season-long contract after running down his deal at Borussia Dortmund, while the promising right-back Nahuel Molina arrived from Udinese.
Given Simeone’s well-documented defensive-minded approach, it sounds surprising that Atletico averaged 1.71 goals per La Liga outing last season.
Their prolificacy could improve next term after Spanish striker Alvaro Morata returned to the base following a decent two-year loan at Juventus.
Morata’s comeback should fill the void left by the departure of Luis Suarez on a free transfer.
Manchester United
Man Utd’s blistering start to ten Hag’s first pre-season at the club saw them thrash arch-rivals Liverpool 4-0 in Thailand before a brace of multi-goal margin wins over Melbourne City and Crystal Palace in Australia.
Ten Hag was one touch away from returning to Europe with a 100% win ratio, yet Calum Chambers’ last-gasp header helped Aston Villa rescue a 2-2 draw last time out.
While waiting for new signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez to make their debut, the Red Devils fans had an opportunity to witness Anthony Martial at his best.
After an abysmal short-term loan at Sevilla last term, the Frenchman defied every expectation during United’s pre-season tour, establishing himself as ten Hag’s standout performer.
In other latest Manchester United news, Ronaldo has informed the club that he wants to be relinquished from his contract at the Theatre of Dreams that would allow him to join a Champions League side.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United Prediction
Though both previous meetings between Atletico and Man Utd have produced low-scoring affairs, we tip this one to buck the trend.
With results often taking a back seat in pre-season fixtures, we expect both managers to try out funny stuff in the front third, which could lead to a spectacle in Oslo.
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Manchester United
