da betano casino： When not much is known about a player a manager of Jose Mourinho’s ilk is prepared to spend over £30million on, they usually arrive at their new clubs with an exciting allure – the assumption being that they’re a diamond in the rough destined for greatness, unearthed by some Mourinho-appointed scout.
da fazobetai： That’s how many felt about Victor Lindelof when he arrived at Old Trafford earlier this summer, having not seen an abundance of evidence of his form for Benfica here in England. Well, Manchester United fans finally got the chance to see the somewhat unknown Sweden international in competitive action last night and it’s safe to say, the 23-year-old doesn’t seem all he’s cracked up to be.
Of course, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Real Madrid are the best side in the world and the first team ever to claim consecutive Champions League titles. Even Atletico Madrid and Juventus – the two best defensive teams in Europe – couldn’t contain the Los Blancos attack last season.
But even so, it spoke volumes that Lindelof’s centre-back partner for the evening and one of the players he’s expected to replace in United’s habitual starting XI, Chris Smalling, outperformed him on virtually every statistical front, namely tackles, interceptions, clearances, aerial duels won, touches, passes and passing accuracy.
In fact, the England international was arguably United’s best player in a largely disappointing display for Jose Mourinho’s side that had them on the back foot for much of the ninety minutes, getting Lindelof out of trouble on a number of occasions.
Eric Bailly looks almost certain to come back into Mourinho’s starting XI when West Ham come to Old Trafford in the first Premier League fixture this weekend, with United 2/7 on with 888sport in the football betting markets, having missed the European Super Cup through suspension. But Smalling and Lindelof’s polarised performances have created a question mark over who should partner Bailly on Sunday. Let us know who you’d pick by voting below…