Manchester United manager Marc Skinner: Liverpool draw ideal prep for Champions League | OneFootball

Marc Skinner ahead of the WSL match between Liverpool and Manchester United last year | Photo: Jayde Chamberlain/SPP.

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner says a hard-fought draw in their closing friendly against Liverpool was the ideal way to go into the new season.

United begin their UEFA Women’s Champions League quest next week when they face PSV Eindhoven in qualification in Sweden.

And they rounded off their pre-season schedule with a 2-2 draw at Leigh Sports Village against their old rivals.

Canada international Simi Awujo put United ahead in the first five minutes before Ceri Holland and Cornelia Kapocs gave Liverpool the advantage.

But England’s Ella Toone – in her second pre-season match with her club following her performances during the summer’s Women’s Euros – scored late on to ensure that United finished pre-season unbeaten, and in a positive frame of mind.

“I thought the players were exceptional, their energy, work rate,” manager Marc Skinner told the official Manchester United website afterwards. “We controlled a lot of the game. We can be critical of our finishing as a collective, but only because we have high standards of ourselves.

“Performance-wise, there’s always going to be little bits you need to work on – I think this is our fourth game together, probably only two for everybody that’s come back from the Euros.”

Marc Skinner: I want more

Skinner added: “The two goals we conceded were mistakes on us, but I’d rather get them out now! The intensity, the incredible work rate from the front line, the players behind them, it’s good, and it’s positive, but I still want more.”

And he expects to see that when his side compete in the Women’s Champions League qualifying tournament next week – with the hope of successfully navigating it and reaching the group phase.

“We’re already ready, our season has already started. I said there’s no friendly games – they’re all tests. This one is a great test. We start with PSV and then it could be Metalist [1925 Kharkiv] or Hammarby and both would be difficult challenges so we’ve got to be ready for both of them.

“We’ll give absolutely everything. You know this team. They live and breathe Manchester United. We’ll give everything to try and qualify.”

Manchester United in the UEFA Women’s Champions League

Marc Skinner has now been United’s head coach for four years. Their previous Women’s Champions League campaign ended in an early exit in 2023-24, when they lost in the second round of qualifying to Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 in the first leg, 1-3 in the second, 2-4 on aggregate).

The Red Devils finished third in the Women’s Super League in 2024-25, behind title-winners Chelsea and second-placed Arsenal, who are also Women’s Champions League defending champions.