Manchester United Draws With Fiorentina Before Winning On Penalties In Final Pre-Season Friendly

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Manchester United triumphed over Fiorentina 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in their final pre-season match at Old Trafford. The game followed the unveiling of new striker Benjamin Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig for up to £74 million. Although Sesko was not part of Ruben Amorim's squad for this match, new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo made their debuts.

United's revamped attack faced challenges early on when Simon Sohm scored from Albert Gudmundsson's corner just eight minutes into the game. However, United equalised in the 25th minute thanks to an own goal by Robin Gosens, who inadvertently redirected Bruno Fernandes' corner into his own net. Despite levelling the score, United struggled to break through Fiorentina's defence.

The match concluded with a penalty shootout to determine the winner of the Snapdragon Cup. After eight successful penalties, Altay Bayindir saved Fabiano Parisi's attempt, allowing Kobbie Mainoo to score the winning penalty for United. This victory marked a positive end to their pre-season campaign.

Fiorentina's goalkeeper David de Gea returned to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving Manchester United in 2023. He delivered an impressive performance, denying two headers from Lenny Yoro and a powerful shot from Harry Maguire before receiving a standing ovation upon his late substitution. Meanwhile, Simon Sohm hit the crossbar for Fiorentina.

Sesko's addition allows manager Ruben Amorim to field a completely new attacking trio valued at over £200 million as they prepare for their Premier League opener against Arsenal next week. In this match, United recorded 14 shots compared to Fiorentina's 10 and achieved an expected goals (xG) of 1.91 against Fiorentina’s 0.91.

Despite these statistics, only Gosens' own goal found the back of the net for United. Bryan Mbeumo managed just one shot with an xG of 0.03, while Matheus Cunha had two attempts worth 0.39 xG combined. The best opportunities fell to Casemiro and Yoro, who registered two shots each with xG values of 0.68 and 0.43 respectively.

The arrival of Sesko brings optimism as Manchester United looks forward to their upcoming Premier League season with renewed vigour and strategic options in attack.