Match report: United 2 Borussia Dortmund 3

Diogo Dalot, one of 11 changes to the starting XI that faced Real Madrid on Thursday, put the Reds ahead with a superb curled effort, but Erik ten Hag’s men trailed at the break after Donyell Malen scored twice in barely a minute.

And though Antony restored parity early in the second period, substitute Youssoufa Moukoko slid home a winner for the Bundesliga side as an engaging, competitive encounter in front of 50,857 fans brought the curtain down on Tour 2023.

FIRST HALF – LATE SUCKER-PUNCH

United’s 19-year-old winger Omari Forson, handed his first start of pre-season, saw an early left-footed shot tipped wide by Gregor Kobel, in between two stops at the other end by Tom Heaton from livewire Karim Adeyemi.

The pace of Forson and Facundo Pellistri on the opposite flank was causing problems for Dortmund’s full-backs and, after the latter helped earn a free-kick on the left, Donny van de Beek laid the ball off for Dalot to curl a delicious shot beyond Kobel from 20 yards.

Heaton was called on to keep out a scuffed Malen effort before Forson and Adeyemi were both booked after squaring up in midfield. 

Adeyemi threatened again with a powerful drive that Heaton gathered at the second attempt and, as the chances kept coming, Christian Eriksen’s well-struck free-kick was palmed away by Kobel. Ten Hag replaced Forson with Antony seven minutes before the break and spoke to the teenager at length on the touchline.

The Reds were well on top but were hit by a quickfire double blow just before the break. Firstly, a ricochet in the box fell kindly to Malen to volley home from close range and then a minute later, Victor Lindelof could only clear as far as former United loanee Marcel Sabitzer, who fed Malen to slot past Heaton.

SECOND HALF – AN ENTERTAINING CONCLUSION

Andre Onana replaced Heaton at half-time for his second United appearance and was almost immediately called upon to make a smart reflex stop from Sebastien Haller.

Antony drew United back on level terms with a composed finish into the bottom-left corner after Mats Hummels’ poor attempted clearance, and only a last-ditch Niklas Sule interception denied Jadon Sancho a tap-in against his former club.

Harry Maguire and Haller contested a corner in United’s box and the ball cannoned off the crossbar, before both managers rang the changes on the hour mark, with substitute Aaron Wan-Bissaka blazing over after an electric break involving Marcus Rashford.

The German outfit restored their lead with 20 minutes left as Marco Reus squared for Moukoko to poke in despite Luke Shaw’s best efforts.

United dominated thereafter but couldn’t find another equaliser, with substitute Dortmund keeper Alex Meyer denying Casemiro, Joe Hugill and Rashford, and Antony hitting the rebound wide from that latter chance.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Heaton (Onana 46); Dalot (Casemiro 61), Lindelof (Martinez 61), Maguire (Evans 61), Williams (Shaw 61); Eriksen (Wan-Bissaka 61), McTominay (c) (Mount 61); Pellistri (Rashford 61), van de Beek (Fernandes 61), Forson (Antony 38); Sancho (Hugill 77).

Substitutes not used: Bishop, Fernandez, Gore, Hannibal.

Scorers: Dalot 24, Antony 52

Booked: Forson

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel (Meyer 46), Ryerson (Meunier 62 (Pohlmann 68)), Sule (Bueno 76), Hummels (Papadopoulos 77), Wolf (Bensebaini 46), Emre Can (Bamba 62), Sabitzer (Ozcan 46), Brandt (Besong 76), Adeyemi (Hazard 62), Malen (Reus 61), Haller (Moukoko 61).

Substitutes not used: Lotka, Kirsch, Blank.

Scorers: Malen 43, 44, Moukoko 71 

Booked: Adeyemi, Hummels