Manchester United recorded a convincing victory over Rosenborg with an impressive performance at the Lerkendal Stadium.
In the second match of the 2026 pre-season tour, Manchester United beat Rosenborg 5-0, thanks to goals from Shea Lacey, Joshua Zirkzee, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass, and Ethan Williams.
Michael Carrick’s side went into the game after losing 1-0 against Wrexham in Helsinki, but they’ve now recorded their first victory of the tour in front of a crowd that had a lot of empty seats.
Without further ado, here are five things we learned from United’s win over Rosenborg in Trondheim.
What is your INSTANT REACTION as Manchester United beat Rosenborg 5-0
Who impressed you most and why?
Shea Lacey impresses in No.10 role with goal
Lacey predominantly plays in wide positions, but he can also play centrally in the No.10 role as we saw against Rosenborg.
The 23-year-old scored United’s first goal of the pre-season tour with a clinical finish after cutting in and beating his man following a wonderfully weighted pass from Zirkzee.
Lacey is trying to find a role in Carrick’s team, but being versatile across the attacking positions gives him the best chance of gaining minutes in the first team. Especially if he continues to shine in pre-season.
Andrey Santos looked sharper than last week
In his second friendly match since signing from Chelsea, Andrey Santos left a good impression. He already looks sharper than he did a week ago.
The Brazilian drew multiple fouls and eased the pressure on his teammates from the middle of the pitch.
Up against a side with more fitness and sharpness than United, Santos gave a good account of himself.
Much better from Joshua Zirkzee
While criticism of Zirkzee’s performance against Wrexham felt harsh for a pre-season opener, it echoed concerns from his two underwhelming seasons since joining from Bologna.
The Netherlands international delivered a sharp response against Rosenborg.
After setting up Lacey’s first-half opener with a delicate through ball, Zirkzee capped off an impressive display in the 56th minute as he skipped past both a defender and the goalkeeper with clever footwork before slotting into an empty net.
Leny Yoro comfortable in two different roles
Leny Yoro started his second consecutive game on the pre-season tour at right-back, where he continued to impress for the first half.
It suits Yoro to deal with one-v-one situations with wingers because he has the pace, strength and technical attributes. He dealt with everything that was thrown his way.
In the second half, Yoro moved into his familiar centre-back role. He continued to perform strongly alongside Ayden Heaven.
Which Manchester United academy star impressed you the most vs Rosenborg?
Shea Lacey, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams all scored, but there were so many impressive performances!
Empty seats becoming a trend at Man Utd’s pre-season friendlies
The empty seats visible during last week’s friendly in Helsinki were repeated in Trondheim.
Many Rosenborg supporters boycotted the match, viewing it as an unwanted distraction during a tense relegation battle – especially after their domestic fixture against Fredrikstad FK was pushed back to Monday night.
Still, United would normally expect to comfortably fill a 21,423-capacity Scandinavian stadium through local reds alone.
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