Academy Match Report: Manchester United U21s 2-0 Borussia Dortmund II | OneFootball

Manchester United Under-21s brought European football back to Old Trafford on Friday night as they hosted Borussia Dortmund II in the Premier League International Cup.

United had opened the competition with a win over Athletic Club before losing to RSC Anderlecht in the previous gameweek.

First half

Things did not go according to plan right from the start, as captain Jacob Devaney went down holding his left leg within minutes and had to be substituted for James Overy.

However, United did not let that faze them, though, as Gabriele Biancheri gave the Red Devils the lead in the seventh minute.

Diego Leon started the move with a good pass to Chido Obi’s feet, who stretched the play out to the right for Biancheri, who shot across goal and it went inside the far post.

At the other end, Will Murdock pulled off an incredible save. A full stretch dive to push away a headed attempt from Dortmund’s corner kept United’s lead intact.

Soon after, Biancheri showed a good bit of hold-up play before switching the ball out to James Scanlon, whose low driven shot was saved.

Sekou Kone delivered a great diagonal ball to send Tyler Fletcher into the box, who took the ball down perfectly, but Jonas Feddersen matched it with an equally good tackle.

Second half

After pressing from the front in the first half, United dropped back more in the second half as Dortmund chased an equaliser.

Substitute Babis Drakas had a chance to do so when he escaped in behind Leon and did excellently to take the ball down, but the Dortmund winger let United off with a poor finish.

Minutes later, Dortmund captain Tony Reitz’s dipping free-kick went off the top of the crossbar.

Murdock was called upon to make another huge save in the sixty-ninth minute to deny Drakas, who raced away in behind Leon again.

But despite the pressure from the German side, it was United who doubled their lead in the 70th minute.

Hitting on the counter, Scanlon burst infield before slipping the pass through to Biancheri, who made a clever run from outside to in before finishing with his weaker left foot.

Both keepers made an excellent save apiece near the end as Biancheri was denied his hat-trick, but ultimately his brace was enough to seal the three points.

The win pushes United up to second in the group with a final match to come against Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Match facts

United: Murdock, Fitzgerald, Jackson, Armer, Leon, Devaney (c) (Overy 5), Kone, Scanlon, T. Fletcher, Biancheri, Obi (Mather 72)

Unused subs: Heath, Plunkett, Bailey

Goals: Biancheri 7, 70

Feature image Lewis Storey via Getty Images

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