Man United’s Leny Yoro lays down marker with defensive masterclass vs. Fiorentina | OneFootball

Manchester United wrapped up their pre-season with a penalty shootout win over Serie A side Fiorentina at Old Trafford.

United beat Fiorentina

The game was forced into a shootout after it ended in a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Fiorentina took the lead just eight minutes in through Simon Sohm, who took full advantage of some pitiful defending from United on a corner-kick routine.

Ruben Amorim’s side started a bit slow but grew into the game as it progressed and they eventually got their reward, drawing level in the 25th minute.

Bruno Fernandes swung in a lethal ball from the corner, which Robin Gosens turned into the back of his own net while under immense pressure from Leny Yoro and Casemiro.

United had chances to score, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Fernandes and Harry Maguire all presented with goalscoring opportunities, but they just lacked the finishing touch.

Eventually, a shootout was needed to settle the fixture. Altay Bayindir made a key save before Kobbie Mainoo scored the winning spot-kick.

While there were a few standout performances, Yoro’s display was the most notable.

Yoro shines against Fiorentina

Yoro played on the right of Ruben Amorim’s three-man defence and barely put a foot wrong all game.

He was brilliant on the ball, managing an impressive 93% pass accuracy and touching the ball 85 times. Four of his passes were delivered into Fiorentina’s box, showing he didn’t shy away from getting involved in attacking play.

The Frenchman delved into nine duels, coming out on top on seven occasions. He won both tackles that he attempted.

Yoro also made two ball recoveries. He fired two shots, both of which were on target. He made as many clearances, in what was a top-class performance from him.

The 19-year-old impressed in a brilliant debut season at United, but he appears to be growing and refining his game even further. If he maintains this trajectory, he could truly explode in 2025/26.

Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images

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