Manchester United’s pre-season has arguably gone much better than everyone may have expected, with Erik ten Hag’s reign getting off to an impressive start with three wins from four games during their tour of Asia and Australia this summer, scoring 13 goals in the process.
And with little under two weeks to go until the start of the new season, the Red Devils will end their pre-season preparations with a double-header this weekend against Spanish opposition, despite both games taking place in two different countries.
Here is all you need to know about United’s final two games of pre-season this weekend, including who they’re against, where they take place, and why they are playing two games in two days.
Who are Man Utd playing this weekend?
The Red Devils will see their pre-season preparations end this weekend against Spanish opposition, with Ten Hag’s outfit facing Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Saturday, before ending with a tie against fellow La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
In what may arguably be United’s toughest test of the summer, the north west outfit will have their work cut out against Atletico in their first test of the weekend. There was no silverware for Simeone’s side last season, who finished third in La Liga, made it to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and were knocked out in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.
The Red Devils will then round-off the weekend against Androni Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano, who they will be expected to beat as they look to end things off this summer with a win. The Spanish outfit finished 12th in La Liga last season, although they did impress by making it to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
How do you think Man Utd will perform in their two friendlies this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Where are the games taking place?
With two games against Spanish opposition to come, you’d rightly assume that they would both be taking place in Spain or at Old Trafford, or even somewhere that all three teams happen to be at the same time. However, that is not the case here.
The Red Devils will face Atletico on Saturday at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, which is the home ground for Norway’s national team. The 28,000-seater will welcome Ten Hag and Simeone’s side to this part of Scandinavia for a 12:45pm kick-off (BST).
United will then fly back to Manchester after the game, to ensure that they return with plenty of time to prepare for Sunday’s clash with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford, in what is their only pre-season fixture on home soil and Ten Hag’s first in the home dugout, with a 4pm kick-off scheduled.
Why are Man Utd playing two games in two days?
According to The Athletic, Ten Hag had requested that his side play two games on the final weekend before their 2022/23 Premier League campaign starts in order to ensure that everyone in the squad has the opportunity to get 90 minutes under their belts to maximise preparations.
United were originally only supposed to play Atletico in Norway on the Saturday, but Ten Hag made the proposal to chief executive officer Richard Arnold to sort another friendly for the Sunday, of which he booked a second La Liga outfit in the form of Rayo Vallecano.
Tickets for the Old Trafford game have also been made cheap in an attempt to pack out the stadium in the hope that as many fans as possible can get behind the team. However, it is predicted that Ten Hag will field his strongest lineup against Atletico, before rotating the squad for the following day’s game.
