Manchester United vs Lens LIVE highlights and reaction as Casemiro, Antony and Rashford score

Manchester United will continue to step up their pre-season preparations when they face RC Lens in their penultimate friendly of the summer at Old Trafford this lunchtime, kick-off 12:45pm.

United, who have not played at Old Trafford since the end of May, returned from their tour of the United States earlier this week and have just two friendlies left before their season opener against Wolves on August 14. After facing Lens this lunchtime, they take on Athletic Bilbao in Dublin tomorrow afternoon.

With United playing twice in just over 24 hours, the squad this lunchtime is made up of a strong pool of first-team players supplemented by youngsters from the academy. The Reds have already worked with a similar approach during this pre-season campaign.

After being beaten by Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in each of their last two outings, United will be determined to get a result against the French outfit, though fitness levels and the performance will no doubt mean more to manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman was furious after his side’s second half showing against Dortmund in Las Vegas in the early hours of Monday morning.

It means he will be determined to see a response from his players this weekend, starting in this lunchtime.

You can follow all of the very latest updates from Old Trafford by following the live blog below.

14:38KEY EVENT

United player ratings as duo impress

United got back to winning ways in pre-season this lunchtime, defeating RC Lens 3-1 at Old Trafford.

Here is how we rated the players…

Andre Onana

He was lobbed from 45 yards but that was more on Diogo Dalot. Handled with care and faultless with his feet. Made some decent stops. 6

Diogo Dalot

Reassigned first-team status but may have relinquished it with a poor performance. Culpable for Florian Sotoca’s majestic lob. 5

Click here to read more.

FT – MUN 3-1 RCLKEY EVENT

FULL-TIME!

There goes the full-time whistle at Old Trafford.

United come from behind to win their penultimate pre-season friendly of the summer. Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro all scored in the second half.

The Reds will conclude their pre-season schedule against Athletic Bilbao in Dublin tomorrow.

90′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Added time

Two minutes of added time will be played.

89′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Outstanding from Onana

Onana produces a brilliant stop to keep out a certain goal. A shot came in from the edge of the box, looped up after taking a deflection and the Cameroonian had to react by leaping across his goal with both hands to get it away. Sublime.

85′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

More Lens changes

Lens are making another four substitutions in one go. Meanwhile, their supporters are having an afternoon to remember, despite the scoreline. They’ve made plenty of noise.

81′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

United substitution

ON: Forson.

OFF: Antony

77′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Fernandes’ fierce drive punched away

Fernandes tries to get himself in on the act with a rasping drive from outside the penalty area. It sat up nicely for him, he took aim and saw it punched away by Samba. It was an easy save for the former Nottingham Forest ‘keeper, in truth.

74′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Spierings goes close

Lens substitute Spierings almost makes an immediate impact, lashing a shot just wide of Onana’s goal. Lens are having a little spell here.

72′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Lens make a flurry of changes

As is often the case in pre-season, Lens are making a cluster of changes in one go, making four in total.

69′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Lens go close

Lens go close to getting a goal back. Onana produces a smart save to keep out a hooked effort. Dalot then clears up and lashes it away.

68′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

United substitution

Sancho comes ON for United and replaces Garnacho, who goes OFF.

The latter has been superb this afternoon.

65′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Sancho coming on

During a break in play, Sancho has been in deep conversation with Ten Hag. The winger is about to come on.

60′ – MUN 3-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Casemiro knew nothing about that one

Casemiro knew absolutely nothing about that goal but he won’t care one bit. Rashford headed the ball against him and it went in. United in control now.

58′ – MUN 3-1 RCLKEY EVENT

GOAL! 3-1 UNITED (Casemiro)

United have another one, and it’s Casemiro this time. He heads home a set-piece from inside the box. The Reds have started this second half like a house on fire.

56′ – MUN 2-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Antony is leaving his calling card

After scoring against Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas, Antony has added an assist and a goal to his collection this afternoon. His pass for Rashford’s goal was superb and his own strike was cool and collected. He needed this.

53′ – MUN 2-1 RCLKEY EVENT

GOAL! 2-1 UNITED (Antony)

What a turnaround! Antony puts United in front. Garnacho made it with another brilliant run. Antony then found himself in the right place to finish it off. Great composure.

52′ – MUN 1-1 RCLTyrone Marshall

Superb from Antony for the goal

That was a superb assist from Antony, something he didn’t do anywhere near enough of last season. It’s given him confidence as well judging by the skill to see off two Lens defenders a couple of minutes later. Asking for a player to be booked in a pre-season friendly is less attractive, however. It’s a big second season for Antony at United and he looks to be one of the few players finishing pre-season strongly.

48′ – MUN 1-1 RCLSamuel Luckhurst

Antony and Rashford combine

Antony and Rashford both needed that. The pass was better than the goal – a deflection – but the movement was that of a striker and Rashford is likely going to have to occupy that role for most of August.

48′ – MUN 1-1 RCLKEY EVENT

GOAL UNITED! 1-1 (Rashford)

United make the perfect start to the second half. Rashford brings the Reds level. A deflected drive finds a way past Samba. Game on.

46′ – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Back under way

The second half is under way at Old Trafford. United manager Erik ten Hag hasn’t made any changes at half-time.

The Reds are attacking the Stretford End in this second 45.

HT – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Hojlund all smiles at Old Trafford

New recruit Rasmus Hojlund was introduced to the United faithful ahead of kick-off this lunchtime.

He has joined the club on a five-year deal from Italian club Atalanta. United reached a breakthrough in talks with the Serie A outfit last weekend and have signed him for an initial fee of £64million.

(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)

HT – MUN 0-1 RCLSamuel Luckhurst

Half-time player ratings

Here are your half-time player ratings from Old Trafford…

Onana

Lobbed from a distance but not at fault. 6

Dalot

Deserved his recall but at fault for the goal and struggled to recover. 4

Varane

Largely untroubled. 6

Martinez

An okay half. 6

Shaw

Had a shot on target. 6

Mount

Missed a sitter. 5

Casemiro

Tough tackling and passing with purpose. 7

Antony

Needs to offer more. 6

Fernandes

Good. 7

Garnacho

Very lively. 7

Rashford

Not a striker. 5

HT – MUN 0-1 RCLKEY EVENT

HALF-TIME!

There goes the half-time whsitle at Old Trafford. United trail at the interval after Sotoca’s impressive opener.

41′ – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Shaw takes aim

Shaw tries his luck from distance but Samba was equal to his deflected drive. Better build-up play from United.

37′ – MUN 0-1 RCLSamuel Luckhurst

Ten Hag will be furious that United trail

If Solskjaer was in charge, he would have chuckled about Mount’s miss and quipped something like, “He’s saving them for when the season really starts.” With Ten Hag, you know he will be furious, especially as United now trail.

Mount has just got a warm ovation at the corner flag, as one of his No.7 predecessors David Beckham did post-St Etienne ’98.

34′ – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Fernandes free-kick hits the wall

What a header that was. Fernandes takes a free-kick from the edge of the ‘D’ and it is blocked by a superb header inside the wall. United have not done enough to test Samba in the Lens goal yet.

33′ – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Lens posing a threat on the break

Lens have the lead and are looking to add to their tally. They are causing all kinds of problems on the counter-attack.

Though their most recent forray forward was, in the end, flagged offside, it took a superb challenge from Casemiro to stop it going any further.

27′ – MUN 0-1 RCLGeorge Smith

Garnacho causing problems

Though United risk being caught out at one end, Garnacho is threatening at the other. He is seeing plenty of the ball on the left flank and looking to run at the Lens defence whenever he can. He’s just blazed a shot wide after a strong run.

26′ – MUN 0-1 RCLSamuel Luckhurst

Dalot faltering

It is far too premature to say be careful what you wish for. That was faultless technique from Sotoca; he hit it first time and the loft on his dink was faultless.

The error in that goal was Dalot’s careless pass inside. Talk about a bad time to be culpable for a goal; he’s only just ousted Wan-Bissaka and then he does that. He’s now lost the ball to Machado. Not good.

24′ – MUN 0-1 RCLTyrone Marshall

Dalot at fault for the goal

Maybe De Gea has just let out a little chuckle wherever he is watching this game from. Whenever a goalkeeper is lobbed from the centre circle it will lead to attention on him, but beyond the obvious jokes that isn’t Onana’s fault. United are in possession just inside the Lens half and the goalkeeper is in the position Ten Hag would want. Dalot is at fault for playing an awfully loose pass inside, gifting the ball to Socota whose first-time finish is world-class. A humbling moment for Onana but he’s not at fault for that.