3-5-2 is the answer: five things learned from Man Utd 2-1 Real Madrid

In a game of two halves, Manchester United held on to beat Real Madrid 2-1.

United ended their pre-season tour of America in style with their best performance yet and most impressive result too. The Red Devils overcame Los Blancos thanks to two early first-half goals. What did we learn?

1. Alexis is back

Alexis Sánchez was hideous for Manchester United last season. His mid-season swap move with Henrikh Mkhitaryan appeared to be a gamble gone wrong as the Chilean played terribly and disrupted United’s rhythm and tempo. It looked like he had lost whatever allowed him to dominate at Arsenal and would be a genuine transfer bust.

But a summer of rest (his first since 2013) and a nice haircut have left Alexis looking lively again. He has been United’s standout performer on tour and the game against Real Madrid followed that trend. Playing in a two-man attack with Juan Mata, Alexis was pulsating from the off. A constant mass of movement in attack, all chest-puffed out and endless bravado, always threatening the Madrid defenders.

And he made the decisive touches in the game, too. First arriving to crisply rocket home Matteo Darmian’s cross, giving United a deserved lead. To then less than 10 minutes later helping his side double it when his movement to the back-post and then delightful header down from Juan Mata’s cross gave Ander Herrera the chance to thump the ball into the back of the net.

2. Vinicius Jr. has the sauce

It was a rough first game for Julen Lopetegui’s Real Madrid, as Los Blancos didn’t really look close to cohesive, but Vinicius Jr. managed to make an impression on audiences watching him in Real Madrid white. The Brazilian lined up in attack, mostly on the left, and actually managed to stand out despite his side’s relatively ineffective performance.

Whenever he got the ball, Vinicius looked to drive the ball forward, taking the game to United. He is clearly a player of great natural talent who is unafraid to take the game to opponents in a way that is reminiscent of great Brazilians in Madrid’s past. The highlight of Vinicius’ night being a delightful dribble where he mesmerised Timothy Fosu-Mensah with some looping stepovers before blowing by him and sending a nice cross in that Gareth Bale wasted.

3. No Matic, No Problem

Early in pre-season, Manchester United were crying out for Nemanja Matic to return from injury and add some solidity to their midfield. And when it was clear that Matic needed surgery and would miss the start of the season, panic set in amongst United fans. How were they going to cope in pre-season (to say nothing of against Leicester) without the big Serbian?

Well, it turns out, they’ll be just fine. In fact, they might be better off without Matic, especially in this 3-5-2 formation. With Ander Herrera, Andreas Pereira and Fred; United have three excellent all-around central midfield talents. All three men can defend, all three men can move with the ball, and all three men can pass.

As a unit, a trio, they provide the Red Devils with a solid core to the side able to block passing lines and stop opponents from playing whilst then moving forward with the ball and threatening themselves. Herrera and Pereira looked the most accomplished against Madrid (with Herrera scoring the side’s second) but there was so much potential to what Fred was trying, he just needed better synchronicity with his team-mates.

Imagine what these guys could do once Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are added to their ranks? In a just world, Nemanja Matic would join Marouane Fellaini in being a very specific role-player that United used only in certain scenarios (i.e. defending a lead).

4. Madrid need a goalscorer

Real Madrid dominated the second half of the game as José Mourinho made minimal subs and instead looked to hold on. This is perhaps not a surprise as the Portuguese is something of a legend when it comes to his defensive outlook, and that he would try to “hold on” in a pre-season friendly in terms of practice for the Premier League opener against Leicester makes sense, but what’s odd is it worked.

United’s defence is far from full-strength and starting Scott McTominay in his back three was a clear signal to the United board that Mourinho wants someone there, so how did they hold out against a Madrid onslaught? Well, partly because Los Blancos had no one to focus their onslaught around.

It was a lot of cutbacks that fell to players who weren’t necessarily cold-blooded killers in front of goal, and that told in the quality of finishing. Obviously it’s early in pre-season, but Gareth Bale was inconsistent as ever and Karim Benzema scored Madrid’s only goal but he can’t be the only one capable of scoring; his replacement Borja Mayoral was lively but lacked a killer touch and all the players yet to return in pre-season are creative players, not goalscorers. Madrid need to enter the market again.

5. United’s solution: 3-5-2

With Manchester United’s top brass struggling so repeatedly in the transfer market, it looks like there’s no way José Mourinho is going to get the right-winger he wants; he has said he will probably get one of the positions he wants: a centre-back, but that’s it. Given the problems that causes in the United side, the Portuguese coach may realise that 3-5-2 is a great solution for the entire season, not just pre-season.

When all of United’s players have returned, and assuming Anthony Martial departs, it will be a squad devoid of wingers. So why play a formation that needs them?

It will also be a squad whose full-backs are limited and could do with less responsibility than was placed upon them in 2017/18. Instantly you see that 3-5-2 solves those two issues, as playing wing-back lets the likes of Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian focus more on attacking and not have to worry so much about scurrying back in defence.

3-5-2 also creates a solid midfield trio where the need for a genuine holder is alleviated by the extra centre-back. This means that a ball-player like Fred or Andreas Pereira or Ander Herrera could “hold” midfield with ease. This suits the three men United have on tour as well as Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, the Englishman played in this exact system to great individual and collective success at the World Cup.

In attack, Romelu Lukaku would obviously suit the system as it would give him a partner in close proximity. Marcus Rashford would thrive knowing that any minutes he would play would come in attack, and, of course, Alexis Sánchez has always been at his most effective in a forward role with relative positional freedom.

3-5-2 also helps United’s centre-backs, which is the only area United are likely to strengthen. Eric Bailly looks a surefire starter if he can stay fit, and you’d expect Victor Lindelof to build off his great World Cup to pick up another slot although Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Axel Tuanzebe could fight him for that spot. The final place should go to the only new United signing, whoever that may be.

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