Amad Diallo stakes a claim for starting spot as Manchester United overrun Real Betis | Soccer

On Tuesday at UCLA, Amad Diallo expressed his desire to remain at Manchester United “for my entire life.” Just a day later, 130 miles south at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, the Ivorian delivered a first-half performance that served as an impressive audition for a spot in Erik ten Hag’s starting XI for the foreseeable future.

Diallo was either the goal scorer (once) or the provider (twice) for all of his team’s goals during an opening 45 minutes that likely pleased Erik ten Hag significantly more than the second half, which saw a loss of structure and purpose.

Additionally, there were two injury worries, this time concerning Marcus Rashford, who appeared to suffer a stamp to his ankle and had to exit the match after 64 minutes. Shortly thereafter, Antony followed, and Ten Hag will be hoping both wingers recover quickly, as they would otherwise have four players out by just the second match of their US tour.

The initial two injuries occurred during Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal. Following the announcement that Leny Yoro would be out for three months due to a metatarsal injury sustained in that match, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire formed a central defensive pairing that was intended to be retired years ago.

Stepping into the role left vacant by Rasmus Hojlund’s hamstring injury in the same match—keeping him sidelined for six weeks—was Jadon Sancho, who had also played as a No. 9 during last year’s US tour.

Before long, Sancho had the ball in the back of the Real Betis net, having been played in by the dynamic Diallo, who expertly handled a long ball. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.

Another promising opportunity followed when Diallo passed to Scott McTominay, who sprinted down the middle, only to be brought down by Nobel Mendy. The infringement seemed clear, but referee Alexis Da Silva waved play on.

As the evening chill set in, Betis struck, capitalizing on a blunder by Tom Heaton. Rodri, their right-wing attacker, cut in and fired a cross-shot that Heaton initially saved but inadvertently pushed back into play. It found Iker Losada, who easily scored while Heaton was left stranded on the ground.

At this point, United seemed to lack composure, which didn’t bode well. However, they quickly equalized when Diallo surged into the box, drawing a foul from Romain Perraud, prompting Da Silva to point to the penalty spot.

Rashford executed the penalty with a stuttered run-up before shooting confidently into the left corner, leaving Silva no chance.

The equalizer stemmed from a determination that characterized United’s next two goals as they pulled ahead of Manuel Pellegrini’s side and threatened to run away with the match.

With Luke Shaw consistently posed with fitness issues and Tyrell Malacia still recovering from a severe knee injury, Harry Amass is hoping to step up this season as a left-back option, similar to how Kobbie Mainoo emerged last year.

His assist for McTominay showcased his promising attacking awareness. The ball eventually reached Diallo’s powerful left foot, and he struck confidently to make it 2-1 for United, who then seemed to control the match.

Further ruthlessness followed, with Diallo again playing the creator role. A corner delivered from the right found Rashford beyond the far post, who cleverly flicked the ball back to Casemiro, who bundled it over the line from inches out.

The newly established pairing of Maguire and Lindelof was evident as they were the only players substituted at half-time by Ten Hag, who couldn’t afford another defensive issue. Jonny Evans and Will Fish stepped in and soon found themselves part of a shaky defense that was nearly breached dangerously following two Betis corners.

Then came a moment to encourage Ten Hag and the United faithful, as Sancho embarked on a dazzling run, leaving Betis defenders in his wake—an encouraging sight considering such displays had been rare since his arrival.

On a negative note for United supporters, Rashford limped off visibly in pain towards the tunnel, followed by Betis leveling as Diego Llorente, unmarked, headed beyond Heaton. Cut to the touchline, where Ten Hag expressed frustration that a series of planned substitutions had not been executed before Betis equalized.

A crowd of 26,248 filled the outdoor venue with a 35,000 capacity, enjoying the action—evidenced by a clever yet precise chip from one of Ten Hag’s substitutions, Toby Collyer, that set up James Scanlon on the right. Scanlon’s effort found Mason Mount (another substitute), who ended up blasting over.

A similar lack of focus was visible when Hannibal Mejbri darted infield and passed to Ethan Wheatley, who was in a prime scoring position but failed to convert due to a poor touch, wasting a significant opportunity.

As the match drew to a close, Antony limped off the pitch. United’s treatment room is in danger of becoming overcrowded even before the competitive matches of the new season begin. At least Rashford was able to join his teammates in expressing gratitude to the fans with a walk around post-match.