 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Manchester United kept up the positive momentum of their pre-season tour with a 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday in Santa Clara, California.
Wayne Rooney put the English club on top early by heading home a goal in the 10th minute before Jesse Lingard and Adnan Januzaj each added second-half goals.
Manchester United, who beat Champions League winners Barcelona in the title game of 2009 and 2011, have enjoyed a successful US tour with victories over Club America of Mexico and Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes.
Barcelona, playing without standouts Lionel Messi and Neymar, along with Claudio Bravo, Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves, made it an exciting match but failed to cash in on a few prime scoring chances.
Luis Suarez twice hit the post on first-half shots for Barcelona and had another goal overturned by an offside call in the second half.
Manchester United seized a 2-0 lead in the second half when Lingard scored in the 65th minute.
Barcelona struck back in the 89th minute with a goal by Rafinha, but United answered with their third moments later, courtesy of Jacuzzi.
Barcelona were coming off a win against MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday and have one more match in the United States before they return to Europe.
Ruthless Arsenal hit Lyon for six
Arsenal thrashed Olympique Lyonnais 6-0 as they continued preparations for the new Premier League season with a stylish demolition of their French opponents in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey scored within a nine-minute spell in the first half before Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla netted after the break.
"What you want in pre-season is to find your team playing at a good pace with good cohesion," manager Arsene Wenger told reporters at the Emirates Stadium.
"The goals were spread through the whole team which means collectively we are good."
Arsenal opened the scoring after 29 minutes when Giroud rose to head an Ozil free kick into the net and the Londoners doubled their advantage when Oxlade-Chamberlain drilled home a low finish.
Iwobi, 19-year-old nephew of former Nigeria and Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha, made it 3-0 when he stretched to finish with his left foot and Ramsey added another to leave the visitors reeling.
Ozil notched a fifth goal with a low finish after good work from Ramsey and Giroud, and Cazorla dealt the French side a final blow in the 84th minute with a cute free kick, rolling the ball low beneath the leaping Lyon wall.
Arsenal face German side VfL Wolfsburg, who lost 2-1 to Villarreal, on Sunday and can secure the trophy with victory.
