Manchester United conceded three goals in 15 second-half minutes in their final pre-season friendly as Ruben Amorim enjoyed his first win as AC Milan manager with a 4-2 victory over his former side.
Patrick Dorgu had restored United’s lead following some disastrous Milan defending shortly after half-time, before goals from Alphadjo Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed the comeback for Milan in Wroclaw, Poland.
Harry Maguire had opened the scoring for United after just two minutes, with Samuel Chukwueze then punishing some suspect defending from United to equalise, before Bruno Fernandes missed his second penalty of pre-season just before the break.
Marcus Rashford made his first appearance for Manchester United in 20 months, coming on as a second-half substitute against the manager who dropped him back in December 2024, but it was Amorim who got off the mark after a winless start at Milan.
Michael Carrick’s side open their Premier League campaign against Hull on Saturday.
Manchester United v AC Milan LIVE
- Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan defeat Man Utd after second-half defensive collapse
- Marcus Rashford comes off the bench to make his first Man United appearance in 20 months
- 71 GOAL! Ruben Loftus-Cheek runs through to score Milan's fourth (MUN 2-4 MIL)
- 68' GOAL! Milan come from behind to lead as Ramos scores free header (MUN 2-3 MIL)
- 58' GOAL! Milan draw level for second time as Cisse arrives at back post (MUN 2-2 MIL)
- 51' GOAL! Patrick Dorgu punishes another howler in Milan's defence (MUN 2-1 MIL)
- 43' MISSED PENALTY! Fernandes misses second penalty of pre-season (MUN 1-1 MIL)
- 37' GOAL! Samuel Chukwueze taps into empty net after defensive mix-up (MUN 1-1 MIL)
- 2' GOAL! Harry Maguire heads Man Utd into early lead from Fernandes corner (MUN 1-0 MIL)
FULL TIME!
17:43 , Jamie Braidwood
That’s it! AC Milan come from behind to beat Manchester United 4-2 in their final pre-season friendly. United will be disappointed to concede four goals in their final game of pre-season, especially the manner of their second-half collapse.
Ruben Amorim, though, tastes victory for the first time as Milan boss. And he does so against his former side.
Next for United: it’s Hull City away in their Premier League opener next Saturday.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:39 , Jamie Braidwood
90 mins: Just a couple of extra of minutes to be played.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:37 , Jamie Braidwood
88 mins: A clever clipped ball from Shaw just runs out of Fernandes’ reach. The United captain is getting 90 minutes today as he builds his sharpness ahead of next week’s opening game.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:31 , Jamie Braidwood
82 mins; CHANCE! Rashford is picked out by Lisandro Martinez with a ball over the top but goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani does well to get out and smother the opportunity.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:26 , Jamie Braidwood
78 mins: Rashford keeps alive a long switch from Maguire as he chases down the ball and wins it back with an excellent tackle. He slips in Shaw on the overlap but Milan clear.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:24 , Jamie Braidwood
75 mins: Kobbie Mainoo requires some treatment after taking a knock. There’s a smile on Amorim’s face now. He’s heading for his first win as Milan boss in five attempts, and against his former side.
Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan
17:22 , Jamie Braidwood
73 mins: That’s three goals for Milan in around 13 minutes. United have fallen apart defensively and the changes (six at one time) have not helped the cohesion.
Maguire takes aim from range and Torriani tips over.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-4 AC Milan (Loftus-Cheek 71')
17:20 , Jamie Braidwood
4-2!
Loftus-Cheek is afforded an ocean of space after playing a one-two and getting behind Martinez and the United defence. He beats Lammens at his near post.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-3 AC Milan (Ramos 68')
17:17 , Jamie Braidwood
Milan have come from behind to lead! A lovely cross from Chukwueze sets up a free header for Goncalo Ramos, who is wide open to nod Milan ahead. Questions defensively for United. Chukwueze had too much room to put the cross in and then Ramos got away from Maguire to score.
Man Utd 2-2 AC Milan
17:14 , Jamie Braidwood
65 mins: Rashford gets his first chance to have a run at the Milan defence but is harshly pulled up for a foul. He has gone out to the left wing, with Mbeumo up front and the youngster Lacey now on the right.
Man Utd 2-2 AC Milan
17:10 , Jamie Braidwood
62 mins: Here comes Marcus Rashford! His first Manchester United appearance since December 2024. He is back as a substitute for the first time this pre-season. Rashford is one of six changes.
ON: Rashford, Mbeumo, Mainoo, Lacey, Dalot, Martinez
OFF: Dorgu, Cunha, Amad, Santos, Heaven, Mazraoui
Man Utd 2-2 AC Milan
17:09 , Jamie Braidwood
60 mins: This should be a second yellow for Pervis Estupinan after pulling down Dorgu when he was through on goal. Estupinan was booked for doing exactly that on Amad in the first half, but he somehow gets away with it!
Estupinan is then taken off.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-2 AC Milan (Cisse 58')
17:07 , Jamie Braidwood
But Milan are level again! A lovely switch of play to Chukwueze opens up the space. He guides a ball across the face of goal and the 19-year-old forward Alphadjo Cisse arrives at the back post to equalise. There’s a suspicion of offside. Either way, it was a tight. But United were cut open there.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 AC Milan (DORGU 51')
17:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Dorgu restores United’s lead. Guess what? It’s another defensive howler!
Once again, it is awful defending from Milan. Terracciano plays the ball across the face of goal and straight to Dorgu.
Dorgu says thanks very much and calmly finishes under the goalkeeper.
Another nightmare from Amorim’s new side.
Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:57 , Jamie Braidwood
48 mins: OFF THE LINE! Fernandes pings a cross to the back post and Dorgu keeps it alive. It fell to Santos at close range but he couldn’t get a connection and the Milan goalkeeper gathers.
Dorgu is then booked for a professional foul in midfield.
Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:56 , Jamie Braidwood
47 mins: Ayden Heaven is left limping after an early challenge. United will want to get through this second half without any injury concerns.
Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:54 , Jamie Braidwood
45 mins: Cunha is back out for the start of the second half. No changes at the break from United.
HALF TIME! Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:46 , Jamie Braidwood
Marcus Rashford was warming up during the first half. Will we see the England international during the second half against Ruben Amorim, who dropped him from his team in December 2024?
United have not offered much threat from open play. Their goal came from a corner and Milan mistakes have led to their other chances.
HALF TIME! Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:38 , Jamie Braidwood
The half-time whistle sounds in Poland but Matheus Cunha is receiving treatment on the pitch after an accidental collision. He received a blow to the face.
PENALTY SAVED! Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:31 , Jamie Braidwood
Oh that’s a surprise! For the second time in three games, Fernandes misses! Lorenzo Torriani dives to his right and keeps it out. It’s not a great penalty from United’s captain. A good height for the goalkeeper and not in the corner.
PENALTY! Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:31 , Jamie Braidwood
More terrible defending! Milan present the chance to United by losing the ball when playing out from defence. It broke to Tielemans but he is clipped by Koni De Winter before pulling the trigger.
It’s a bit soft but Fernandes will have the chance to restore United’s lead.
Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan
16:29 , Jamie Braidwood
39 mins: CHANCE! Almost an instant reply. The ball breaks to Fernandes into the box but his left-footed shot is straight at Torriani.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan (Chukwueze 37')
16:27 , Jamie Braidwood
37 mins: Milan are level! Horrible defending from United. From a throw-in, United give the ball away and Ardon Jashari crashes into Maguire and he collides with Santos. It breaks to Goncalo Ramos and he squares to Samuel Chukwueze, who taps into the empty net.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:25 , Jamie Braidwood
34 mins: Amorim is without a win in four games so far this pre-season but applauds as a Milan switch of play drifts out. This has been a very slow game since the opening 15 minutes or so.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:20 , Jamie Braidwood
30 mins: Milan take a free-kick from the byline and pull it back to the edge of the box. Ardon Jashari pulls the shot wide.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:15 , Jamie Braidwood
25 mins: Super run from Fernandes and Shaw picks out the pass. Fernandes brings it down but the left-footed shot at the angle is blazed over.
Time for a hydration break. It is hot, to be fair.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:13 , Jamie Braidwood
24 mins: Cisse was able to step past Santos but he slices his cross from the angle straight at Lammens.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:11 , Jamie Braidwood
21 mins: A Mexican wave has broken out in Wroclaw. There’s been a little bit of lull in proceedings.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:08 , Jamie Braidwood
18 mins: Alphadjo Cisse and Ramos exchange a one-two on the edge of the box but Cisse places his shot well over the bar.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:05 , Jamie Braidwood
15 mins: GREAT SAVE! Smart stop from Lammens to block Loftus-Cheek’s low shot with his feet. That was a bit sloppy again from United as Dorgu lost the ball on the edge of the box, but Lammens was there when it counted for the second time this match.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:03 , Jamie Braidwood
14 mins: In case you needed a reminder: yes, Ruben Amorim is still playing 3-4-3. Much of the early stages of this game has been Milan attempting to build the ball from the back, but they look very open in defence. United are happy to let Milan have the ball.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
16:01 , Jamie Braidwood
11 mins: That’s a lovely move from United to move the ball out of defence. Tielemans drops a shoulder and slips through Amad, who is through. Estupinan drags him down, out of desperation, and is booked. He could have gone if this was a competitive game.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
15:58 , Jamie Braidwood
8 mins: CHANCE! That wasn’t pretty from Tielemans, mind. Fernandes loses the ball and then Tielemans is robbed by Loftus-Cheek. Lammens deals with the shot early enough but that was sloppy from United’s midfield.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
15:56 , Jamie Braidwood
6 mins: Yikes this is bad stuff from Milan. The captain Pavlovic is caught dawdling on the ball and Amad almost robs the ball from him in the box. Pavlovic manages to concede the corner and Milan can clear.
Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan
15:55 , Jamie Braidwood
4 mins: Musah stood no chance as he tried to block Maguire’s path. It was awful defending from Milan but Fernandes gets a simple assist, simple putting the corner onto Maguire’s head. He carries such a threat from those set-pieces.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-0 AC Milan (MAGUIRE 2')
15:51 , Jamie Braidwood
What a start! Rubbish defending from Milan but Maguire powers United in front from Fernandes’ corner. Yunus Musah was shoved to the ground before the corner was taken. Then, Maguire simply brushes him to the side before nodding United in front. Simple.
Man Utd 0-0 AC Milan
15:51 , Jamie Braidwood
1 min: CHANCE! Dorgu breaks into the box and fires an early shot on target. It’s tipped over by goalkeeper Torriani. It was straight down the middle of the goal but a decent early effort from Dorgu.
KICK-OFF! Man Utd 0-0 AC Milan
15:49 , Jamie Braidwood
And we’re underway! Manchester United are in the their changed cream kit. Milan are in their usual black and red stripes.
With seven days before United kick off their Premier League campaign against Hull, their final pre-season test is underway.
Man Utd v AC Milan kick-off coming up
15:47 , Jamie Braidwood
It looks to a warm afternoon in Wroclaw as Manchester United and AC Milan walk out onto the pitch at the 42,000-capacity Tarczyński Arena. Szymon Marciniak, the Polish referee who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final, is in charge of proceedings today.
Reminder of team news and how to watch Man Utd v AC Milan
15:42 , Jamie Braidwood
Manchester United XI: Lammens: Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Andrey Santos, Tielemans; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
Substitutes: Heath, Mee, Amass, Dalot, Martinez, Yoro, Collyer, J Fletcher, T Fletcher, Mainoo, Gabriel, Lacey, Mbeumo, Rashford, Zirkzee
AC Milan XI: Torriani; Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos
Fans can watch the friendly on United’s in-house streaming service, MUTV. Subscriptions are available for £29.99 per year.
Marcus Rashford is wearing No9 for Manchester United today
15:38 , Jamie Braidwood
But the club have been keen to stress that Manchester United’s official shirt numbers will not be confirmed until next week.
How close is today's Man United team to first choice?
15:31 , Jamie Braidwood
The midfield three of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Bruno Fernandes looks pretty set. Perhaps Lisandro Martinez is ready for Hull next Saturday and partners Harry Maguire? With Diogo Dalot coming in for In come Noussair Mazraoui?
With Amad Diallo on the right and Patrick Dorgu on the left, does it come down to Bryan Mbeumo or Mathues Cunha in attack? Or does Cunha start ahead of Dorgu on the left? Michael Carrick looks close to knowing his first choice for Hull, but he’s not there yet.
Michael Carrick outlines Man United's transfer plans as rivals spend big
15:24 , Luke Baker
Michael Carrick has acknowledged that Manchester United still need to strengthen their squad during the current transfer window, but insists they will not spend at the level of their Premier League rivals.
United have so far spent around £85m to secure Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow. However, after another summer of heavy spending elsewhere, they remain the only Premier League ‘big six’ side never to have broken the £100m threshold on a player.
Chelsea bought Morgan Rogers for £117m, Man City signed Elliott Anderson for £116m and Tottenham secured Sandro Tonali in a deal potentially reaching £100m, while United have cut their cloth a little more sparsely.
“Money’s money, I get that,” Carrick said. “It’s still about the football though, and that’s where the competition lies.
“Certainly the situation is what it is as well, whether that’s finances or whatever. For now, we’ve got to make the most of it, but we’ve got to keep pushing and push everything and every boundary that we can to be able to win again.”
Asked why United were not matching rivals' spending, Carrick added: “To be honest, I haven’t got the answers for that. We’re working with pushing everything that we can to make the best of it.”
Today's AC Milan team
15:19 , Jamie Braidwood
AC Milan XI: Torriani; Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos
Former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, former Brighton left-back Pervis Estupinan and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos are among the starters for Milan. Luka Modric is also part of the Milan squad, at the age of 40.
Our starting XI is set 🔒 pic.twitter.com/Qqo19UTCb4
— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 15, 2026
The Manchester United lessons Ruben Amorim must learn to spark AC Milan revival
15:16 , Richard Jolly
After Manchester United, Wilf McGuinness’ next job was Aris, followed by Panachaiki, also in Greece. His only other permanent managerial post was at York City.
After leaving Old Trafford, Frank O’Farrell went to Cardiff and then on an eclectic journey to Iran, Torquay, Al Shaab and Torquay again.
All of which has an added pertinence now, more than half a century after their reigns ended. For Ruben Amorim, the next destination on the footballing map feels altogether more glamorous: AC Milan, making him a successor to Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, Nereo Rocco and Carlo Ancelotti.
At Old Trafford, however, Amorim was not so much the new Matt Busby or Sir Alex Ferguson as arguably the worst United manager since World War Two, an unwanted tag that may otherwise have rested with McGuinness or O’Farrell. They were tarnished by disappointments as Busby’s successors. Their careers never recovered.
Richard Jolly explains how Amorim can ensure he doesn’t suffer the same fate
The Manchester United lessons Ruben Amorim must learn to spark AC Milan revival
Amorim admits to Man United mistakes
15:08 , Luke Baker
Although his spell at Old Trafford ended in acrimony, Amorim has reflected on his time there in the months since his sacking and now openly acknowledges he made mistakes during his tenure.
During his introductory press conference at AC Milan earlier this summer, Amorim said: “It’s hard to explain the mistakes because for that I would have to explain all the context of the last adventure.
“It’s hard to say to you every mistake. The only thing to say is I learned a lot and I did makes some mistakes.
“I didn’t have the opportunity, and I’m sorry for that, to say something to the Manchester United fans, I’m really proud to be their coach for a year in that time.”
Can he take the learnings into his new job in Milan?
The return of Ruben...
15:00 , Luke Baker
Of course it’s only a pre-season friendly, but one intriguing narrative this afternoon is Ruben Amorim facing his former side, now as AC Milan boss.
Things fell apart for the Portuguese at Old Trafford after a turbulent 14-month spell that ended with him going on a rant at the club’s hierarchy and being duly sacked less than 24 hours later back in January.
The 41-year-old left with a win percentage of 38 per cent, the lowest of any permanent Manchester United manager since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and was out of football for a few months before getting the Milan job in June.
He’s trying to implement his patented three-at-the-back system at the San Siro now and you’d imagine he’ll be given an unpleasant reception by the United fans in attendance today.
What's the deal with Marcus Rashford?
14:50 , Luke Baker
Marcus Rashford’s future at Man United has been up in the air for a while, ever since he was frozen out by Ruben Amorim (more on him in a minute...) and then had loan spells with Aston Villa and Barcelona.
But he’s back in the mix, Barca appeared to turn down the opportunity to sign the England international permanently, so he’s available for United.
Michael Carrick has hinted that Rashford is set to be part of his plans this season, although the 28-year-old was linked with several Premier League clubs earlier in the transfer window, including Tottenham.
“He's our player. He's come back great, like any other player. I've known him a long time, he gives us something a bit different,” said Carrick. “He’s been in great spirits since he's been back, he's been back two or three days.”
Michael Carrick makes six changes from Wednesday night
14:41 , Jamie Braidwood
Five Manchester United players keep their place after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds, with Senne Lammens, Ayden Heaven, Andrey Santos, Amad Diallo and Partick Dorgu starting.
In come Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Youri Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha.
That means Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Harry Amass, Tyler Fletcher, Joshua Zirkzee and Bryan Mbeumo all drop out.
And Marcus Rashford returns to the bench. He could make his first Manchester United appearance since December 2024 as a substitute.
Marcus Rashford on the bench for Man United
14:33 , Jamie Braidwood
Substitutes: Heath, Mee, Amass, Dalot, Martinez, Yoro, Collyer, J Fletcher, T Fletcher, Mainoo, Gabriel, Lacey, Mbeumo, Rashford, Zirkzee
Manchester United confirmed line-up
14:31 , Jamie Braidwood
Manchester United XI: Lammens: Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Andrey Santos, Tielemans; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
Our final starting XI of Tour 2026! 📋🤍
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 15, 2026
ℹ️ Squad numbers worn in pre-season are provisional and yet to be finalised.
Team news imminent
14:29 , Luke Baker
We should be finding out how the sides will line up today very shortly. Which United players will be returning from their post-World Cup break?
Man United prepare for pre-season finale
14:25 , Luke Baker
United touched down in Poland yesterday and are getting ready in Wroclaw today
Touchdown in Poland ahead of AC Milan tomorrow 👊🛬 pic.twitter.com/WZ0wvDzgeO
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 14, 2026
LAST TIME OUT: Man United beat Leeds in penalty shootout after friendly draw
14:20 , Luke Baker
Croke Park, Dublin, was the location of Man United’s penultimate pre-season clash and they earned a satisfying shootout win over rivals Leeds following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
Noussair Mazraoui scored the decisive spot-kick in the 5-4 shootout triumph after James Justin’s effort struck the crossbar, with United skipper Bruno Fernandes having earlier surprisingly missed from the spot before it went to sudden death.
Joshua Zirkzee had fired United in front in the 16th minute, set up by the excellent Bryan Mbeumo before Leeds drew level with their first real chance around the 30-minute mark as Brenden Aaronson applied the finishing touch after fine work from former United winger Daniel James.
The 90 minutes ended in bizarre fashion after two young fans ran on to the pitch to take selfies with Fernandes and when security did not immediately intervene, at least three others joined in and play did not restart before referee Neil Doyle blew for full time.
Manchester United beat Leeds on penalties after pre-season draw at Croke Park
Early AC Milan team news
14:12 , Luke Baker
Meanwhile AC Milan could hand a first start to their own star signing of the window, Portuguese forward Goncalo Ramos, who signed from PSG for a club-record €74m fee plus add-ons last month.
He came off the bench for a cameo against Chelsea last time out.
Possible AC Milan XI: Torriani, Terracciano, De Winter, Pavlovic, Chukwueze, Modric, Comotto, Estupinan, Loftus-Cheek, Ramos, Leao
Early Man United team news
14:08 , Luke Baker
Mason Mount remains a doubt for United after suffering a foot injury in the friendly with PSG, but Harry Maguire, who was rested for Wednesday’s pre-season clash with Leeds, is set to return.
Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford are all expected to make appearances for the first time this summer, while summer signing Andrey Santos has impressed thus far and is likely to be given another start.
Possible Man Utd XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw, Tielemans, Santos, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo
How to watch Man United v AC Milan
14:04 , Luke Baker
Man Utd play AC Milan at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland this afternoon, with kick-off at 3.45pm BST.
Fans can watch the friendly on United’s in-house streaming service, MUTV. Subscriptions are available for £29.99 per year.
Manchester United v AC Milan
14:00 , Luke Baker
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Man United v AC Milan.
It’s United’s final pre-season friendly before beginning their Premier League campaign against Hull next weekend and it’s taking place in Wroclaw, Poland.
Perhaps most notably, Milan are managed by a certain Ruben Amorim - who left Old Trafford after a dismal reign earlier this year.
