Manchester United 3-1 Hong Kong: Chido Obi inspires Red Devils to comeback win | OneFootball

Red Devils striker nets timely second-half brace to rescue Ruben Amorim’s side from another defeat on Asia tour

Chido Obi came off the bench to inspire Manchester United to a deserved comeback win over the Hong Kong national team.

The teenage striker netted twice after being introduced as a half-time substitute in Friday’s second and final friendly contest of a two-match post-season tour for the Red Devils in Southeast Asia, where they had slumped to a shock 1-0 loss to an ASEAN All-Star XI in Kuala Lumpur just 48 hours earlier to continue a truly wretched campaign in which they finished 15th in the Premier League and lost in the Europa League final.

It was a timely statement of intent from Obi heading into a summer where United are desperate for further attacking reinforcements having already agreed a £62.5million deal for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and also been heavily linked with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Liam Delap, turning the game around for Ruben Amorim’s struggling side who had dominated and created plenty of chances but again lacked a crucial cutting edge.

United went in at the break behind after their familiar profligacy was compounded by Hong Kong scoring with their first real attack of the game, Brazilian-born Juninho’s hopeful effort squirming under veteran third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton - starting in place of the absent Andre Onana - at his near post in the wet conditions at the national stadium.

However, Obi twice responded in an impressive second-half display after Amorim changed his entire team at the interval, before Ayden Heaven then wrapped up the comeback victory with a header in the final seconds of stoppage time.

Obi could easily have helped himself to a hat-trick as he created numerous opportunities after entering the fray, first firing into the bottom corner four minutes after the restart after the referee had played a handy advantage.

United’s entirely new lineup had stepped things up a notch and carried more of a ruthless edge, Patrick Dorgu impressing along with Mason Mount, whose ball into the box with eight minutes to go was glanced in by Obi before Heaven then turned home Amad Diallo’s delivery to make sure of victory.

The visitors had taken charge from the outset on their first visit to Hong Kong since they beat local team Kitchee SC 5-2 back in 2013, captain Bruno Fernandes starting as expected despite suggestions on Friday morning that he was now “seriously considering” a lucrative final offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Also in Amorim’s XI was Alejandro Garnacho, who has apparently been told in no uncertain terms by the manager to find a new club this summer.

Garnacho was United’s most influential performer early on in the teeming rain along with teenage winger Shea Lacey and left-back Harry Amass, with Rasmus Hojlund trying his luck before Casemiro’s header from a floated Fernandes free-kick was ruled out for a tight offside.

Fernandes and Garnacho both forced saves from busy home goalkeeper Tse Ka Wing, while Lacey steered Garnacho’s cutback wide of the far post.

Hong Kong - coached by United academy graduate and 1995 FA Youth Cup winner Ashley Westwood - offered very little in attack but managed to score with their first real foray forward as Heaton failed to keep out Juninho’s strike at the near post.

Hojlund went close again and substitute Sekou Kone blasted off target, before Fernandes inexplicably attempted a rabona finish when sent through one-one-one and was denied before Hojlund couldn’t finish the rebound and Jaydan Kamason then saw an attempt cleared off the line.

Tyler Fredricson should have done better with a close-range header from a corner before Garnacho and Fernandes both tried their luck again in quick succession to no avail, before Obi turned the tide off the bench in the second half.