Manchester United 1-1 Ipswich Town - Half-Time
Sunday, 30th Aug 2026 17:27
Leif Davis opened the scoring for the the Blues just before the half hour, but Bruno Fernandes levelled for Manchester United on 40 to leave the scoreline 1-1 at half-time at Old Trafford.
Town named the same team which beat Sunderland 2-1 at Portman Road last weekend with new signing Exequiel Palacios on the bench.
Kjell Scherpen continued in goal behind a back four of, from the right, skipper Dara O’Shea, Issa Diop, Jacob Greaves, who was making his 50th start for the club, and Leif Davis.
Marcelino Nunez once again partnered Sasa Lukic in central midfield with Abdul Fatawi wide on the right, Daizen Maeda on the left and Julio Enciso the number 10. Emersonn was the out-and-out striker.
World Cup winner Palacios, who signed from Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, replaced Cameron Humphreys among the subs. Florentino Luis was again missing due to his calf issue.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick made four changes from the team which lost 2-0 at Hull City last week with Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez coming into the defence for Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven, who dropped to the bench.
Kobbie Mainoo returned to the midfield for Andrey Santos, who was also among the subs, while Marcus Rashford started a Premier League game at Old Trafford for the Red Devils for the first time since December 2024, replacing Patrick Dorgu, who was sent off in the corresponding fixture two years ago and was also named on the bench.
After a quiet start from both teams, United struck the first shot in the sixth minute, Rahsford’s effort from just outside the area looped up into Scherpen’s arms.
A minute later, Rashford brought the ball into the right of the area looking to draw an ill-judged challenge before Matheus Cunha, who made his name in English football at Wolves playing under Town boss Gary O’Neil, shot well over.
Town created their first danger in the eighth minute, Maeda doing well to take the ball round the outside of a couple of defenders on the left to the byline, but his low cross was too close to home keeper Senne Lammens.
Scherpen was forced into his first serious save of the game in the 13th minute, the Dutchman superbly tipping Diogo Dalot’s curling shot from the left of the area over the bar.
From the United corner, it was Town who came close to scoring. Emersonn smashed the flag-kick clear and Julio Enciso chased towards goal with Luke Shaw and Bryan Mbeumo left in his wake. The Paraguayan burst into the area but his low effort to Lammens’s left was saved by the keeper.
The home side quickly counter-attacked, Cunha sending over a low ball from the left, which Scherpen was able to palm away from Rashford at the far post while diving at a stretch. United skipper Fernandes’s subsequent effort was deflected behind by Maeda.
As the game moved to the 20-minute mark, Rashford hit a 30-yard free-kick deep into the stand behind the goal.
Town were next to threaten with the match having been surprisingly open. Davis played a great ball inside Dalot for Maeda, who broke into the left of the area and hit a shot across Lammens, which the Belgium international did well to save to his left.
Fernandes wasted another United free-kick in a dangerous position on 26, shooting straight into the wall, Maeda having fouled Cunha.
In the 28th minute, Mbeumo crossed deep from the right and Rashford just reached it beyond the far post but could only send the ball straight up in the air. O’Shea, who had been tracking him, ended up clattering into the advertising hoarding behind the goal but was fine to carry on.
And a minute later, the Blues went in front. Fatawu did Shaw for pace round the outside on the right before cutting in and clipping a cross to Davis unmarked at the back of the box from where the full-back struck a half-volley into the roof of the net to send the travelling fans at the other end wild.
Within seconds of the restart, the left-back wasn’t far from repeating the trick. Fatawu again crossed from the right, Enciso was unable to jump high enough and it found Davis this time closer in, but on this occasion his effort wasn’t so well struck and Lammens was able to turn over the bar.
After a spell of Town pressure and a blocked Lukic shot, the Serbian international was shown the first yellow card of his Blues career for a foul on Youri Tielemans. On 38, Fatawu joined his teammate in the book for a foul on Mbeumo.
As the game approached the 40-minute mark, United levelled in unfortunate circumstances for Town.
The Blues, who had been on top since going in front, had possession around the home side’s box after a long throw had been cleared. Davis played inside to Nunez, who slipped, gifting the ball to Cunha, who broke forward with Lukic the only Town player back. The Brazilian international cut to Fernandes breaking into the area to his left and the Portuguese international beat Scherpen.
The equaliser settled the home side and they went looking for a second in the remaining minutes of the half, Dalot striding forward in the final scheduled minute of the half before hitting a low shot which scuffed off a defender and wide. Scherpen punched clear the corner.
In the first of two minutes of added-on time, Lisandro Martinez blazed well over from distance.
That was the last incident of an action-packed half with the Blues at least worthy of being on terms and unlucky to have been pegged back.
After a very quiet early period, United struck a few speculative efforts, while Town created the better openings for Maeda and Enciso.
Fatawu brilliantly created Davis’s goal, that the full-back took clinically, and carved out another opening which might have led to a second.
Manchester United hadn’t looked like getting back into the game until Nunez’s slip led to their goal. The Red Devils regained their composure from there and Town were probably glad that half-time came when it did.
Manchester United: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Mainoo, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Fernandes (c), Rashford, Cunha. Subs: Darlow, Mazraoui, Dorgu, Yoro, Heaven, Santos, Zirkzee, Sesko, Lacey.
Town: Scherpen, O’Shea (c), Diop, Greaves, Davis, Nunez, Lukic, Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda, Emersonn. Subs: Walton, Furlong, Kipre, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Akpom, Palacios, Ouattara, Clarke. Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire). Assistants: Lee Betts and Mat Wilkes. Fourth official Andy Madley. VAR: Jarred Gillett. Assistant: Tim Wood.
_Photo: Matchday Images_