Manchester United lose 1-0 to Wrexham in pre-season; new signing Andrey Santos starts

Published Jul 18, 07:15 PM UTC

Manchester United began their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 loss to Wrexham in Helsinki, but the match was notable for the debut of new signing Andrey Santos. The Brazilian midfielder, who joined from Chelsea for an initial £48m, started at the base of midfield alongside Mason Mount and showed a good range of passing and strong dueling. Sam Smith scored the only goal six minutes before half-time, tapping in after Lewis O’Brien’s cross deflected through Harry Maguire’s legs. United manager Michael Carrick made 10 substitutions at half-time, fielding a side of academy products against a Wrexham team including Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore. United dominated possession in the second half but struggled to create clear chances, with their first shot on target coming in the 78th minute. The match was played in front of 20,000 spectators at the Helsingin Olympiastadion.