Report: United Legends v Celtic

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Saturday 07 September 2024 17:55

Manchester United’s Legends drew 1-1 with Celtic at Old Trafford, before being beaten 5-4 on penalties, in an event to raise funds for our Foundation.

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring with a wonderful free-kick on 42 minutes, curling home a delightful effort that beat Artur Boruc in the Hoops net.

But just after the hour mark, the visitors hit back as Gary Hooper tapped home from close range, reacting the quickest to Stiliyan Petrov’s long-range effort.

With the game finishing level after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout was played to decide the winner, with Darren O’Dea slotting home the winner as Paul Lambert’s Legends emerged the winners.

FIRST HALF

Rooney’s return was welcomed with wholesale joy as his name was announced prior to kick-off, with our iconic forward starting alongside Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia.

With 15 minutes gone, bated breath awaited most around Old Trafford when Phil Bardsley was hauled down outside the box. Up stepped Rooney but his free-kick, however, failed to threaten, with the Celtic wall doing its job.

Michael Carrick’s dazzling run shortly after again showed United’s promise before he was thwarted. The ball then found our former no.16 as he tested Boruc with a low drive that forced him into action.

Some slick link-up between Berbatov, Darren Fletcher and Rooney brought another United chance with the latter’s goalbound effort deflecting wide for a corner. The resulting set-piece fell to Phil Bardsley who tried his luck from range before Berbatov couldn’t connect with his header on the follow-up.

Another Reds attack saw Bardsley cross for Berbatov with the ball just a little short for our former Bulgarian striker. He then teed up Valencia who smashed a drive both high and wide.

It didn’t take long before a moment of sheer magic lit up M16, with Fletcher hauled down by Joe Ledley outside the box. After his earlier sighter, there was only one man for the job, with Rooney curling an absolute peach of a free-kick into the top corner to hand us the lead.

SECOND HALF

As the second half began, Bryan Robson’s Legends flew out of the blocks with just Nicky Butt replacing Carrick at the interval.

Berbatov was played through as he tried his luck with a deft chip that just clipped the top of the crossbar. A wry smile then swept the face of the former United man.

On the hour mark Celtic drew level, after a sustained period of pressure from the Hoops. Petrov’s long-range drive crashed back off the crossbar and fell kindly to the feet of Hooper, who tapped home into an empty net.

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Danny Simpson attempted to restore our lead as the game ebbed on, with the former United full-back allowed both time and space to test Lukasz Zaluska, as his shot was clawed away by the 42-year-old.

Mikael Lustig’s deep cross from the right flank then found the feet of Georgios Samaras, who side-footed his effort just wide of the post with a penalty shootout soon following at Old Trafford.

When Danny Webber missed from 12 yards for the Reds, O’Dea was left to win it for Celtic and he did just that, rolling the ball past Kevin Pilkington.

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MATCH DETAILS
UNITED

Goalkeepers:

Anders Lindegaard, Kevin Pilkington, Raimond van der Gouw
Defenders:

Antonio Valencia, Danny Pugh, Danny Simpson, Mikael Silvestre, Phil Bardsley, Ronny Johnsen, Denis Irwin
Midfielders:

Chris Eagles, Darren Fletcher, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Luke Chadwick, Karel Poborsky, Michael Carrick, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes

Forwards: Danny Webber, Dimitar Berbatov, Fraizer Campbell, Wayne Rooney

CELTIC
Goalkeepers:

Artur Boruc, Lukasz Zaluska
Defenders:

Charlie Mulgrew, Darren O’Dea, Efe Ambrose, Kelvin Wilson, Mikael Lustig, Stephen McManus
Midfielders:

Barry Robson, Joe Ledley, Jonny Hayes, Simon Donnelly, Stiliyan Petrov
Forwards:

Gary Hooper, Georgios Samaras, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

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