SoccerRecap
Liverpool up to fourth but Salah injured in eventful Palace win
Liverpool climbs to fourth with a 3-1 win over Palace, but Salah's injury raises concerns.
Sky Sports1 min read
SoccerRecap
Academy Match Report: Sunderland U18s 2-1 Manchester United U18s
TL;DR
Sunderland U18s defeated Manchester United U18s 2-1 in a league match. Manchester United fielded a heavily rotated squad with only two starters from their previous match.
Key points
- Sunderland U18s won 2-1 against Manchester United U18s
- Manchester United had a heavily rotated squad
- Only two starters from the previous match remained
Mentioned in this story
Darren FletcherJJ Gabriel
Sunderland U18sManchester United U18s
Academy Match Report: Sunderland U18s 2-1 Manchester United U18s
Manchester United Under-18s travelled to Sunderland on Saturday afternoon for a league encounter.
It was a heavily rotated selection from Darren Fletcher, with only two starters from Wednesday’s Premier League Cup final remaining in the side.
In the midst of a title charge, United had to do without a number of key players on the day, including JJ Gabriel, who missed out in order to train with the first team.
First half
The young Red Devils got off to a bad start as a mistake from keeper Fred Heath saw the ball turned over to Caleb Shakespeare, who quickly fired into the goal.
United responded nearly immediately, levelling the score back in just the eighth minute. Jay McEvoy’s corner delivery found the head of Louie Bradbury, who headed in from close range at the front post.
Sunderland restored their lead five minutes later after another error from United, as Douka Nkoto’s raised hand inadvertently caught the face of the attacker and conceded a penalty.
Jay Matadeen slotted into the right corner from the spot to make it 2-1 to the home side at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground.
Later in the half, Heath produced a big save to keep the deficit at one after Sunderland broke free down the right wing.
In stoppage time, Bradbury tried to catch Sunderland’s keeper Joe Cowan out of his goal with an audacious half-volley from near the halfway line, but the Welsh striker’s effort went wide of the goal.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Sunderland U18s vs Manchester United U18s match?
The final score was Sunderland U18s 2, Manchester United U18s 1.
Why did Manchester United U18s have a rotated squad against Sunderland?
Manchester United U18s had a rotated squad due to several key players missing, including JJ Gabriel, who was training with the first team.
Who were the key players missing from Manchester United U18s in the match?
Key players missing included JJ Gabriel, who was unavailable as he was training with the first team.
