Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United. Friendly Match.
DW Stadium.
Saturday 16 July 2016 22:39, UK
Jose Mourinho got his tenure as Manchester United manager off to a winning start with a 2-0 pre-season friendly victory over Wigan.
New signings Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly started at the DW Stadium alongside the returning Luke Shaw, but the goals all came in the second half after several changes had been made.
Will Keane broke the deadlock four minutes after the restart, with Andreas Pereira hitting a stunning strike to wrap up a first win for United's new boss.
United will now head to China to take part in the International Champions Cup, while Wigan welcome another Premier League club in Liverpool on Sunday.
United dominated throughout, but the game was slow to get started. Memphis Depay had the first shot of the game on the 10 minute mark after a lovely back-heel from the impressive Mkhitaryan before the duo linked up again after a mazy run from the Armenia international, but Depay's cross was blocked.
It took 19 minutes for the first real chance of the game to materialise as Jesse Lingard and Mkhitaryan linked up brilliantly on the right flank with some one-touch football. It was Lingard who took on the shot but Wigan defender David Perkins threw his body in front of the ball to clear the danger.
Midfielder Mkhitaryan was once again involved as United carved open the Wigan defence for the first time. He surged forward from the left and put in a great cross to find Depay at the back post, but a tug from Donervon Daniels saw him only able to direct the ball past the post.
Wigan's best chance of a subdued showing came from a free kick as Dan Burn played the ball short to Michael Jacobs, who managed to push through the United defence but his cross did not find a team-mate and rolled wide.
United could have taken the lead twice before the break, with Depay going close with a long-range effort before Lingard and Ander Herrera played a great give-and-go, with the former's cross finding Mkhitaryan, who fired over the crossbar.
It only took four minutes for United to find the breakthrough in the second half after seven changes from Mourinho, and it was an instant impact from one of the new faces.
Juan Mata raced down the right-hand side of the box to capitalise on a poor Jussi Jaaskelainen clearance falling into his path and while the Wigan goalkeeper came off his line to smother, Mata managed to chip the ball over him to find Keane, who made no mistake in slotting into an open net.
The 23-year-old could have added a second not long after as Antonio Valencia slipped in Ashley Young on the right flank and the latter played in a cross to Keane, but the ball bounced off his shins and wide of the post.
But a minute later, a moment of magic from Pereira ultimately secured the win for United. After Herrera's blocked shot fell into his path, he fired the ball over the heads of a packed box on the volley and into the top corner to double the visitors' lead.
Wigan offered very little in the second half, and Mourinho's men looked content to keep hold of the ball and pass it between themselves, with Young wriggling through the box and firing a cross into the side netting with 20 minutes to play.
Nick Powell, who left United at the end of last season, came on for the hosts in the 72nd minute and flew into a number of tackles that could have seen him sent off in a competitive match, with Mata firing a free kick into the box from one of his fouls that ricocheted off a number of bodies and just skimmed the post.
The Spain international could have had another late assist, but his last-second cross into the box was unable to find another United shirt as the Mourinho's men saw the game out with ultimate ease.
