Manchester United 2 – 0 Manchester City
The first ever Manchester derby on foreign soil went United’s way as Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford put City to the sword 2-0 in Houston.
A year on from a quagmire pitch forcing their Beijing meeting to be called off, the cavernous NRG Stadium, host of the Super Bowl earlier this year, witnessed history as the rivals met in the International Champions Cup.
Lukaku’s superb goal from an acute angle and a Rashford drive proved the difference in Texas, where Jose Mourinho’s United racked up their third friendly win as Pep Guardiola’s City opened pre-season with a 2-0 defeat.
The 67,401 under the roof in Houston were not only treated to a relatively entertaining friendly but a dollop of razzmatazz, epitomised by rapper Drake leading out the players in darkness before they were blasted with dry ice.
Play swung from end to end when football eventually became the focus, with United taking control as half-time approached.
Lukaku embarrassed Ederson Moraes by latching onto a fine Paul Pogba pass and continuing to slot home from an improbable angle, with the new City goalkeeper’s positioning again under scrutiny as Rashford struck soon after.
Lukaku saw an effort come back off the woodwork early in the second half, but there was to be no more goals as play lost momentum as Mourinho and Guardiola rang the changes.
Some of the pre-match razzle- dazzle in Texas was ridiculous, as was the City team shown on the big screens.
Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo was shown in goal but would have probably looked as convincing as Ederson when faced by an Ander Herrera strike early in the game.
Raheem Sterling and sharp-looking Phil Foden had attempts for City as play toed and froed, with the former’s deflected effort forcing a fine save from David De Gea after Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Herrera were denied.
Manchester United starting XI:
De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Blind; Herrera, Pogba; Mkhitaryan, Lingard; Rashford, Lukaku
Manchester City starting XI:
Ederson, Adarabioyo, Kompany, Fernandinho; Walker, Toure, Foden, De Bruyne, Roberts, Sterling; Aguero
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