Manchester United and Leeds played out a 1-1 draw at Croke Park before Manchester United won 5-4 on penalties in a pre-season game that became more memorable for the finish than the football. Bruno Fernandes missed from the spot, and the match ended after a late pitch invasion in front of more than 80,000 spectators. It was the first association football game at Croke Park since 2009.
The goals and the shootout
Joshua Zirkzee put United ahead in the 16th minute after Bryan Mbeumo's assist, before Brenden Aaronson levelled for Leeds just before the half-hour mark after good work from Daniel James. The second half did not produce a winner, which pushed the game into penalties.
The shootout brought the oddest part of the evening. Fernandes missed his penalty, but Noussair Mazraoui later held his nerve to settle it for United. The exact final penalty count was reported inconsistently, although the result was clear enough: United came out on top after spot-kicks.
The crowd and the disruption
The crowd was a sell-out of more than 80,000, which gave the night a proper event feel even before the chaos. Two young fans ran on to the pitch to take selfies with Fernandes, and at least three more followed before referee Neil Doyle ended play.
Michael Carrick said he was holding Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford “in reserve” for Saturday’s friendly against former boss Ruben Amorim and AC Milan in Wroclaw. That next game now takes over the focus, but United have already had a strange pre-season opener and a result that will be remembered for the interruptions as much as the shootout.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
