Kristiansund vs Manchester United 31/07/19

31 July 2019

Kristiansund and Manchester United go head-to-head at Ullevaal Stadion for a friendly fixture that will see the Premier League outfit looking to maintain a purple patch of form.

Currently sitting seventh in the Eliteserien after 14 league fixtures (W6, D3, L5), the Norwegian side go into this meeting off the back of a 5-2 win over Lillestrom that has helped them bring a three-game winless streak to a halt (D1, L2). Interestingly, five of Kristiansund’s last seven games have seen both teams score, with four of them featuring at least two goals in the second half. Christian Michelsen’s main worry ahead of this clash will be his team’s inability to keep a clean sheet that has seen them concede at least one goal in seven consecutive games ahead of this one.

After playing out two high-profile friendlies and winning both of them, 1-0 over Inter Milan and 2-1 against Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils hope to build on a successful period. They have so far four wins in as many friendlies, three of which have seen them beat their rivals to nil. It was important for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to see his side stepping up their defensive performance after United failed to keep a clean sheet in 15 consecutive games at the end of last season. Also, United have netted nine goals in four summer friendlies which have exceeded their haul of eight goals scored in the final 12 games of the last campaign.