With some of the club’s top stars still on their summer break, United manager Erik ten Hag chose an unexpected starting lineup for the game at the Ullevaal Stadion.
Even so, Ten Hag’s starting lineup featured a few well-known players, like as newly acquired Mason Mount, who made his club debut after joining for £55 million from Chelsea.
Having recovered from his fractured metatarsal that kept him out of the final few months of the previous season, Lisandro Martinez joined the team as well.
With academy players Kobbie Mainoo, Omari Forson, and Hannibal joining Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the starting XI, Ten Hag chose a starting lineup that included a combination of youth and experience.
Here are the half-time player ratings for United in the opening pre-season friendly
Tom Heaton
Good awareness to race off his line and end an attack. 6
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Defended well but hardly got forward. 5
Raphael Varane
Commanding the backline as well as you’d expect. 6
Lisandro Martinez
Made a good recovery challenge to prevent a goal. 6
Alvaro Fernandez
Got forward well and could have scored with his header. 6
Kobbie Mainoo
Impressed in the deeper midfield role and made some brilliant passes. 8
Mason Mount
At the heart of everything United did well. Some poor decision-making let him down. 7
Hannibal
Caught the eye with his tenacity and flair. 7
Amad
The brightest of the three forwards. 6
Jadon Sancho
A few lively moments, but lacked end product. 5
Omari Forson
Didn’t really get into the game. 6
Subs
Matej Kovar
Good with the ball at his feet and played out from the back well. 6
Rhys Bennett
Held his own against a Championship attack. 6
Will Fish
A calming presence at the back. 7
Marc Jurado
Looked to get forward whenever he got on the ball. 6
Brandon Williams
Solid on his return to the United side but now behind Fernandez in the pecking order. 6
Dan Gore
Calm and collected on the ball. 7
Isak Hansen-Aaroen
Direct and dangerous whenever he got on the ball in front of a noisy home crowd. 7
Charlie Savage
Sensible on the ball and wasn’t fazed. 6
Shola Shoretire
Loose in possession, but with some clever touches. 6
Noam Emeran
A well-taken goal after a brilliant run down the right. 7
Joe Hugill
A brilliant finish for his goal and could have had another. 7
Manager
Erik ten Hag
Made a sensible decision to start with the senior players and then bring on a host of academy hopefuls. 7