Leicester City 1, Man Utd 2
Jose Mourinho’s wins his first trophy as Manchester United manager – the Community Shield
Jesse Lingard opens the scoring, but United are pegged back by Jamie Vardy’s equaliser
Zlatan Ibrahimovic starts and scores the late winner
Juan Mata comes on as substitute, but is taken off with less than a minute to go for Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Jose Mourinho bagged his first piece of silverware as Manchester United’s new manager and then dedicated the Community Shield win to his Old Trafford predecessor Louis van Gaal.
Great start to the season! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/WMniYBEJT3
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2016
Van Gaal was sacked by the Reds, only two days after his side had beaten Crystal Palace in May’s FA Cup final at Wembley, but he was not forgotten by Mourinho.
“I want to dedicate the victory to Louis van Gaal. We would not be celebrating if his side had not won the FA Cup,” said the Portuguese.
All but two of United’s team – striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and central defender Eric Bailly – had been part of van Gaal’s squad, but there was a different feel to the Reds in this Wembley curtain-raiser to the new season against Premier League champions Leicester.
The new-look United will be even better when, as expected, they sign French international midfield player Paul Pogba this week.
One link between the FA Cup and FA Community Shield triumphs was another superb goal by Jesse Lingard.
The United youngster clinched victory over Palace when his glorious extra-time volley clinched a 2-1 win.
His 32nd minute opener against Leicester was another goal out of the top drawer.
Collecting a Wayne Rooney pass midway inside the Foxes’ half, he waltzed past four players before dispatching his right-foot shot beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and into the net from 12 yards.
Leicester make it a close game
United had enjoyed the bulk of possession before then, although it was Leicester who came closest to scoring when Shinji Okazaki’s glancing header from Marc Albrighton’s 19th minute corner rapped the bar with goalkeeper David De Gea beaten.
Leicester, enlivened by the appearance of substitutes Demarai Gray and new signing
Ahmed Musa at the start of the second half, finally began to put pressure on United.
The electrifying pace of Musa told in the 52nd minute when Leicester equalised.
His run down the left ended with him turning the ball inside. Marouane Fellaini, in trying to cut it out, laid the ball into the path of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and he took it around De Gea before depositing it into the net.
Musa’s arrival put the Reds on the back foot as substitutes came in abundance for both sides – and in the case of United’s Juan Mata – went.
But, with seven minutes left, Antonio Valencia beat Gray on the right corner of the Leicester box before crossing for Ibrahimovic to rise above Foxes’ skipper Wes Morgan and direct his powerful header into the net off a post from eight yards.
This was United’s 21st victory in a competition previously known as the Charity Shield. Seventeen of their triumphs have been outright and four shared when each team held the shield for six months apiece.
What of United’s new signings?
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan appeared for just over a minute and far longer will be needed to judge his significance.
- Eric Bailly produced a mixed bag – prone to barging in like a bull in a china shop one minute and then making a magnificent last-ditch tackle the next. The 22-year-old Ivory Coast international will get better with Premier League experience, but expect some tears along the way.
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic was only a peripheral figure until he scored, but that could be seen as justification in itself.
- Then there is Pogba…….. but that is for another time and place.