Manchester United's pre-season preparations began with a lackluster 0-0 draw against newly-promoted Leeds United in Stockholm. The match, played at the Strawberry Arena, saw debuts for summer signings Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon. Despite the scoreless result, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim highlighted Cunha's performance, suggesting he embodies the qualities the team needs.
Amorim pointed out that the team struggled with pressing high and lacked pace in the midfield. He felt the distance between sectors was too large at times. However, he was encouraged by Cunha's ability to receive the ball between the lines and aggressively drive towards the opponent. Amorim believes Cunha possesses the attributes that were evident last season, and he anticipates Cunha bringing the same dynamism to Manchester United.
Cunha, a £62.5 million signing from Wolves, played the first half of the match. While Amorim acknowledged that the connection between Cunha and Bruno Fernandes is still developing, he expressed optimism about their future partnership. The game also featured young striker Chido Obi, who had a couple of opportunities in the first half, including one instance where he took the ball from Cunha in the area. This highlighted the work still needed to be done on the training ground to fine-tune the attack.
Diego Leon, an 18-year-old left wing-back who joined from Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno, also made his debut. Amorim acknowledged that Leon is still adjusting to his new environment, having only been with the team for two weeks.
The match itself offered few moments of brilliance. Casemiro's deflected cross hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time. Leeds arguably looked more threatening throughout the 90 minutes, creating more chances to score, particularly in the second half. Overall, the game highlighted the need for improvement in Manchester United's attack, which struggled last season, scoring only 44 goals in the Premier League.