Manchester United secured a 5-0 win over Rosenborg in their second pre-season tie at the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim, Norway.
The Red Devils arrived at the game on the back of the narrow 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in their previous pre-season outing. Michael Carrick fielded two separate starting XIs in the two halves in that game and the trend continued on Friday.
The English manager made two changes to the first XI that started the game against the Championship side. Radek Vitek replaced Tom Heaton in goal, while Shea Lacey came into the team at the expense of Jack Fletcher.
United fans also had their eyes on the highly rated JJ Gabriel, who missed the tie against Wrexham, but was on the bench for Friday’s game.
United secure convincing win
United were much improved against Rosenborg compared to their performance against Wrexham. The English giants looked much sharper than their opponents, even though the Norwegian side are already 10 games into their new season.
The Red Devils wasted little time in taking control of proceedings and were ultimately rewarded for their efforts in the 31st minute. Shea Lacey latched on to a superb pass from Joshua Zirkzee and put the ball into the back of the net to send his team ahead.
Zirkzee doubled the score in the 56th minute, leaving the opposition on the floor with two tremendous pieces of skill. Jacob Devaney, who was among a host of substitutes who entered the pitch in the 60th minute, put the game beyond doubt three minutes after entering the pitch.
United continued their onslaught on the opposition goal as the game progressed, before the two full-backs combined to put the game to bed. Jayden Kamason set up Harry Amass to score the fourth goal of the evening in the 72nd minute.
Kamason then set up Ethan Williams in the 84th minute to make it 5-0 for the Red Devils, and rounding off a comfortable night for Carrick. The English manager’s decision to keep JJ Gabriel on the bench, however, would have disappointed fans. While the goalscorers will deservedly take credit for the win, Mason Mount also had an impressive outing in an unconventional role.
Mason Mount Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 23 | 12 | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1,017′ |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | – | – | 26′ |
| FA Cup | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 62′ |
| Total | 25 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 1,105′ |
Source: Transfermarkt.
Mount excelled in a deeper role
United are looking to reinforce the midfield before the start of the new season, but Mount showed on Friday that the answer could be staring them in the face. The Englishman started in a deeper role for the second game running, and stole the show.
From shielding the backline to spraying passes from deep, Mount dominated proceedings from the middle of the park. The 27 year old has struggled to live up to expectations since arriving from Chelsea a few summers ago, but a switch of position could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Mount displayed composure and tenacity in the middle of the pitch, and effortlessly dictated the tempo of the game. His cross-field balls were also a delight, helping switch play and keep Rosenborg on the back foot.
The Englishman also displayed signs of a budding partnership with new signing Andrey Santos, which will delight fans. Mount did not shy away from the hard work either, and covered a lot of ground until he was replaced in the 60th minute.
Final Thoughts
With Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo also vying for the two midfield places, and United still on the hunt for a third midfielder, Mount has a fight on his hands to cement a place in the starting XI. However, his performance against Rosenborg showed exactly why he could be Carrick’s secret weapon going into the new season.
Featured image Steve Bardens via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
