Maguire failed to pass right in front of the penalty area in the 29th minute, allowing the Bilbao player to poke a slot for Nico Williams to knock down goalkeeper Tom Heaton in the face-to-face position. The 30-year-old central defender was disappointed but quickly returned to the net to pick up the ball to continue the game.
Striker Nico Williams celebrates opening the scoring for Bilbao against Man Utd at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland on August 6, 2023. Photo: PA
In the second half, Maguire redeemed himself with a header in the penalty area, clearing the ground for Facundo Pellistri to shoot in an empty position. The 22-year-old volley hit the ground and flew to the far corner, bringing a draw for Man Utd before the new season started.
The difficult match against Man Utd is not difficult to understand, because coach Erik ten Hag took up the entire main team that just won Lens 3-1 a day ago. Maguire returned to the starting lineup with Victor Lindelof, in a patchwork of young players. Pellistri impressed the “Reds” most this match, with aggressive dribbles to create opportunities early in the game.
Maguire made a mistake that led to the goal.
This match Man Utd met the old man Ander Herrera, when the 34-year-old midfielder entered the field in the 76th minute on the side of Bilbao. The audience mainly cheered “Red Devils”, but also stood up and applauded the Spanish midfielder. Herrera played for Man Utd in 2014-2019, scoring 20 goals in 189 games.
A few minutes earlier, Man Utd played better after defender Aitor Paredes received a direct red card. He failed to pass and was robbed by Hannibal Mejbri and was able to dive down to face the goalkeeper. Although it was a friendly, the referee still decided to show a red card to disqualify Paredes. Since then, the red shirt team is much easier to kick but also have to wait until the end of the game to equalize.
Main developments of the match Man Utd 1-1 Bilbao.
After this match, Man Utd will return to Manchester to prepare to play the latest match in the first round of the Premier League, meeting Wolverhampton at Old Trafford on the evening of August 14.