'The King' might be returning to action for Manchester United on Sunday, but Cristiano Ronaldo's title now holds a ceremonial role rather than one of power over his teammates. Erik ten Hag took the strongest side available to Oslo for the match against Atletico Madrid and, in his absence, all but confirmed the side he will use against Brighton in their Premier League opener next weekend.
United fans have had to take their pre-season results with a pinch of salt given that, despite being impressive, they count for nothing, Saturday's defeat to the side that knocked them out of the Champions League last season was a painful reminder of the challenges they still have to overcome.
Atletico were always going to be the toughest test United would face in the summer, and the opening minutes looked to be a reality check as the La Liga side pressed with intensity against their backline.
READ MORE: How the United players rated vs Atletico
But as the saying goes, pressure makes diamonds, and with the summer addition of Tyrell Malacia they have one in the rough. Not many fans would have demanded a new left-back's arrival this year, but they'll be glad they did after another impressive display.
Diogo Dalot has fought off competition from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be the first choice on the right side of defence, and it feels like Malacia might do similar on the left. His starting role was helped by Luke Shaw's absence through illness, but he certainly made his case with his calmness in possession when playing out from the back against an Atletico side that adopted a physical approach not often seen in a 'friendly'.
The 22-year-old was not only sensible with the ball at his feet when in possession, but he knew when to take educated risks too. His superb through ball carved open the opposition defence and could have resulted in an assist had Anthony Martial not lost control of the ball.
Before kick-off, it was revealed Benni McCarthy would be joining as a first-team coach this season, and Martial could have done with his advice when he raced through on goal in the opening five minutes, but wasted his one-on-one with an effort that cleared the bar.
In the Oslo heat, United's intensity was put to the test, but Victor Lindelof kept his cool when he made a recovery tackle in the box to deny Geoffrey Kondogbia a clear chance at goal. David de Gea soon followed suit when he raced off his line to clear the ball before Matheus Cunha could make their defensive lapse pay.
Atletico made things even tougher with their typical no-nonsense approach that looked to frustrate and annoy their opponents into submission. There were a few niggly fouls throughout before things boiled over from a corner before half-time after the combative Scott McTominay left his mark on Jan Oblak. A goalmouth scuffle followed and was met with a flurry of yellow cards.
The underlying nastiness in the match and the subsequent stop-start play meant that Christian Eriksen's arrival for a warm-up on the touchline was as loud as the crowd got during the first-half at the Ullevaal Stadion.
Diego Simeone's side were not the most logical opponents to face given the physical demands they command, but they were a real barometer of where United need to be at next season and a reminder that for all their fancy flair in attack, they need the steel to match.
United needed a spark of inspiration out of nowhere if they were to change the game in their favour, and they nearly got it fifteen minutes after the break when Bruno Fernandes caught out Oblak with a quick free-kick from distance, but the 'keeper just about managed to get to the ball.
Ten Hag's side dominated proceedings, but in their haste, things got sloppy. A fine counter-attack came to an end when Dalot wasted his cross into the box, and at the other end, Atletico should have led when Koke fired over unmarked from close range.
A lift was needed and it came in the form of a double change. Donny van de Beek replaced Scott McTominay and Eriksen replaced Martial to make his unofficial debut.
It didn't take long for the Dane to work his magic either. His perfectly weighted through ball from deep carved open the opposition defence but just evaded the head of Rashford who was lurking in the box.
His next delivery was on the money though, as he whipped an inswinging corner onto the head of Maguire, who somehow directed it wide of goal.
Maguire, still the club captain, is just about as certain a starter as anyone these days, and although the plan might be to eventually partner him with Lisandro Martinez, Lindelof certainly made his own case to start with a well-rounded display.
In the end, the heat and the occasion began to take their toll. Rashford raced beyond the defensive line and did well to direct an effort on goal, but substitute Facundo Pellistri fluffed the rebound and gave away a cheap free-kick that summed up the frustration of the afternoon.
He'd pay the price minutes later too, when substitute Joao Felix capitalised on some very generous defending and fired the winner low into the bottom left corner of the goal and sewed up a rather typical Atletico win.
United's frustration was clear to see, and in the dying moments of the match it got worse. Fred, who had battled away all game, kicked out and was shown a second yellow card.
It was a ruthless but valuable lesson and a reality check of how much work United still have to do against Europe's elite.
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