Man Utd ease to win over Liverpool
Rooney, Mata and Lingard on target against Liverpool as Manchester United win the International Champions Cup in Miami.
Second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard earned Manchester United a morale boosting 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Liverpool in the final of the pre-season International Champions Cup in Miami.
United end their US tour unbeaten under new manager Louis van Gaal and a victory over their old rivals was perhaps the sweetest way to sign off. They will now return to England to finish off preparations for the new Premier League season, which starts on August 16.
Despite the win, Dutchman Van Gaal was in no mood to go overboard about his team’s pre-season, which also included a 3-1 victory over European champions Real Madrid on Saturday.
Asked what the value of the tournament win was, Van Gaal said: “Nothing. It’s nice, nice for the fans in the US and also at home, that we have beaten Liverpool, not our favourite opponents for United fans, and I think we have given a lot of pleasure to these fans and that is important.
“Of course it is better to win preparation games than to lose but the most important game is against Swansea City, our first game, at home, in the Premier League – that we have to win,” he added.