Late Pellestri Strike Salvages Draw

Facundo Pellestri’s late strike rescued Manchester United from defeat against Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season friendly. Despite an early setback caused by a Harry Maguire error that allowed Nico Williams to score, the match ended in a 1-1 draw after Pellestri’s crucial intervention.

Maguire, who faced speculation about his future and lost the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes during the summer, was part of a heavily rotated United side, featuring 11 changes from their previous 3-1 victory over Lens at Old Trafford. Notably absent from the lineup was £72 million signing Rasmus Hojlund, who had recently been introduced to the club’s fans.

In the early minutes, Erik ten Hag’s team had an opportunity to take the lead as Pellestri played a through ball to Jadon Sancho, only to be denied by Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon. Tom Heaton, United’s goalkeeper, was then called into action to save Inaki Williams’ shot as the Spanish side pushed for an equalizer.

Controversy arose in the 25th minute when referee Neil Doyle initially awarded a penalty to Bilbao after Nico Williams was fouled by Alvaro Fernandez. However, the decision was reversed, and a free-kick was given instead, which Heaton managed comfortably.

Despite United’s appeals, Athletic Bilbao managed to take the lead in the 29th minute when Oihan Sancet capitalized on a mistake by Maguire, providing the opportunity for Nico Williams to beat the advancing goalkeeper.

The second half saw both teams refusing to back down, with young talent Dan Gore testing Simon early on. Bilbao’s hopes suffered a setback as Aitor Paredes was shown a straight red card for a foul on Hannibal Mejbri, who had gained possession of the ball for United.

Hannibal later missed a golden opportunity to equalize, volleying over the bar from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross. However, redemption came in stoppage time when Maguire, making amends for his earlier mistake, headed down a cross from Wan-Bissaka, allowing Pellestri to slot home the crucial equalizing goal. The match ended 1-1, offering Manchester United a positive result in their last pre-season outing.