“Grade A game”: United youth boss struggles to contain excitement ahead of Tuesday showdown vs. Real Madrid

Manchester United Under-21s boss Adam Lawrence couldn’t hide his anticipation as he looked ahead to his side’s meeting with Real Madrid. Blockbuster test United Under-21s will host Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening, in the quarter-finals of the Premier League International Cup. Lawrence’s side booked their place in the last eight after finishing second in Group D, behind Borussia Dortmund. The Red Devils secured victories over Athletic Club, Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP. It’s the first time that United have reached the quarter-finals since the 2018/19 season. However, Madrid arguably pose the sternest challenge for United, as the Spanish club’s academy is undoubtedly among the world’s finest. Lawrence spoke to the Manchester Evening News and insisted that the contest will be an “amazing occasion” for all concerned. Lawrence looks ahead He told the newspaper, “It will be an amazing occasion. You try to be humble, but to be involved in this type of fixture, and for the players to experience this type of game at Old Trafford, it’s fantastic.” “The way we were talking, it would be a Grade A game where players are available. There aren’t too many games around it where it can be semi-clear that we can put a bit of emphasis on it. The lads have obviously achieved well in the competition to get to that stage as well.” “I think we are the only English team to still be in it, or there’s only a couple. Now you’ve got to this stage, you’ve got to that stage in a developmental way. Now you get to the quarter-finals in this type of game. Let’s see how we are in a one-off game under that type of stage and all the bits around it.” Lawrence continued, “It’s a fantastic occasion and obviously we want to give a good account of ourselves individually, collectively within that type of game as well.” On his players’ preparation, he remarked, “I think, in all honesty, at the moment we have a lot of the players on international duty, and we’ve just come off a four-day break. So the players who didn’t go away internationally, we gave them four days off.” “Today [Monday 30 March] is actually our first day back in, and then obviously we’ve got the Leeds game on Friday. So to be honest, the lads are obviously aware of the Real Madrid game, and everyone’s excited about it.” “But we have to be fully focused around Friday, and the Leeds game, and then it was sort of like the back end of the week, Sunday, that we started paying real attention to how we’re going to approach the game technically, tactically, and all those bits around it.” “And as well, with the programme between now and the end of the week, you couldn’t pick a team for the Real Madrid game.” “As a coach you understand that at this level you can’t be looking too far ahead because you have first-team fixtures, first-team training, and different parts of the programme.” “So you have an eye on things and you plan further. You know that you have to be very fluid and adaptable off the plan. But specifically for that game, we’d concentrate on Leeds, then review and reflect on that and then start looking obviously at the Madrid game on Sunday and Monday.” Kick-off at Old Trafford will be at 19:00 BST. Feature image Matt McNulty via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!