Manchester United continue their preparations for the 2026–27 campaign by taking on Atlético Madrid in Sweden this weekend.
The Red Devils are in the midst of a busy summer, and are already two games into their preseason schedule. So far, they’ve lost to Wrexham 1–0 and beaten Rosenborg 5–0.
Four academy prospects were on the scoresheet in Norway last time out, including highly rated 19-year-old Shea Lacey. Joshua Zirkzee’s sublime solo strike was perhaps the highlight of United‘s handsome victory, which thoroughly pleased manager Michael Carrick.
“Two games in, two weeks in, I think we can take where we are and we’re pretty happy,” he commented post-match.
The difficulty does notch up on Saturday, though, even if Atlético Madrid are without a glut of senior players. Their preseason started with a comfortable victory over La Liga rivals Getafe, and they’ve been relatively busy in the transfer market improving their roster.
Atléti finished down in fourth last season, and 25 points adrift of champions Barcelona. While Diego Simeone‘s side won’t be expected to dethrone the Blaugrana this season, they’ll want to at least compete with the division’s top two.
Man Utd vs. Atlético Madrid Prediction
Red Devils Build on Rosenborg Battering
These two teams have met four times competitively, and Man Utd are yet to taste victory. Most recently, Atléti edged a dour Champions League round of 16 tie 2–1 on aggregate in 2022.
While the La Liga outfit will always compete with tenacity and vigor, they’re still working their way into the summer. Key man Julián Alvarez is absent, and Simeone is likely to experiment with the academy starlets at his disposal.
Carrick also has a gifted crop of youngsters to work with, complementing an array of senior stars poised for big roles next season. Supporters may also be treated to some new faces in Sweden this weekend.
The extra game United have played may work in their favor at this early juncture, and if this does come down to a battle of starlets in the second half, you’d back United’s to get the job done.
Prediction: Man Utd 3–1 Atlético Madrid
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid
Carrick hasn’t been afraid to hand summer starts to some of his likely protagonists next season, and new signing Youri Tielemans is expected to make his debut for the club this weekend.
Tielemans has teamed up with the rest of the touring roster in Sweden alongside compatriot Senne Lammens, who’ll be desperate to put the fatal error that led to Belgium’s World Cup elimination behind him.
A strong defensive line started against Rosenborg last time out, while Bryan Mbuemo and Patrick Dorgu occupied the flanks. In Benjamin Šeško’s absence, Zirkzee led the line and should do so again here. Supporters are also desperate to catch a glimpse of 15-year-old attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel.
World Cup finalist Lisandro Martínez is dealing with a thigh injury, and Matthijs de Ligt isn’t expected to recover from his back issue until the autumn.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Mbeumo, Lacey, Dorgu; Zirkzee.
Atlético Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Atléti are without several internationals who enjoyed deep runs at the World Cup, including Álex Baena, Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone and Alexander Sørloth. New signing Alejandro Grimaldo is also unavailable.
Another summer arrival, Morten Hjulmand, has been included on Simeone‘s roster, but it‘s too soon for Lee Kang-in, who joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week.
While a long list of academy stars dominates the roster, there’s also an array of experienced heads, such as Koke, Jan Oblak and the forgotten Thomas Lemar.
The club are adamant that they won’t sell Julián Alvarez to Barcelona this summer, and they’re expecting the striker to report back for the start of his preseason on August 10.
What Time Does Man Utd vs. Atlético Madrid Kick Off?
- Location: Solna, Sweden
- Stadium: Strawberry Arena
- Date: Saturday, August 1
- Kickoff: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
How to Watch Man Utd vs. Atlético Madrid on TV
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MUTV |
