REDS FAIL TO GET OVER THE LINE YRI

THE irony is had Andre Onana stayed nearer his goal line then Jude Bellingham would not have lobbed him.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Few could have anticipated Bellingham, already worthy of inclusion in the pantheon of the ones that got away from United, would kill the ball as deftly as he did. It made his neat lob relatively routine.

It was hardly a misjudgement from Onana and he will not be discouraged. This was an otherwise sound 'debut' in United's colours from the Cameroonian, agile with his shot-stopping and dominant in his own third. Onana's passing was effortless but not ostentatious. He charged out of his area once and the header was awry but not punished.

This game was billed as collide! 'champions Real Madrid have earned that status three times in the last decade and claimed the Champions League on five occasions during that time. United? Their title drought will stretch to 11 years.

Despite tickets being priced from $80 upwards, United still packed in a creditable crowd in Houston - 67,801 were present at the NRG Stadium, host of the first overseas Manchester derby in 2017, and the overall attendance for United's three tour games now stands at 184,311.

More importantly for Erik ten Hag, United's fitness levels are now so robust he eschewed wholesale changes at the pause as all of the starters bar Kobbie Mainoo got an hour under their belt. Onana and the indefatigable Bruno Fernandes were the only starters to stay on beyond the 60th minute.