Leeds United and Manchester United continue their preparations for the new Premier League season as old foes renew their rivalry at Croke Park in Dublin.
This will be another chapter in a storied history between the pair as they collide at the home of Irish sport just 10 days before the start of their league campaigns. Michael Carrick’s side impressed in a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend as Youri Tielemans made his bow for the club, though injury worries over Mason Mount may underline the need for more midfield reinforcements.
Leeds have had a relatively eye-catching summer with James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson all high-profile additions. Wins over Liverpool and RB Leipzig have shown encouraging signs and Daniel Farke will be keen to keep the momentum rolling ahead of their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest next Saturday.
Follow all of the latest from the pre-season friendly in Dublin with our live blog below:
Leeds v Manchester United LIVE
- Leeds face Manchester United in Dublin | Live on ITV1
- Old foes renew rivalry at historic Croke Park with sell-out crowd
- 38' OFF THE BAR! Mbeumo hits underside of crossbar with vicious effort [MUN 1-1 LEE]
- 29' GOAL! Aaronson finishes after great work from former United man James [MUN 1-1 LEE]
- 15' GOAL! Zirkzee slots home to break deadlock [MUN 1-0 LEE]
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:41 , Will Castle
51 mins: Cheers from the United-partisan crowd as the big guns warm up - Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans and Matheus Cunha are all getting ready. Luke Shaw is also there.
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:40 , Will Castle
50 mins: Right, that’s sorted. There was a half-chance for Leeds while I was figuring all that out as the ball was played into Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the right, but it was dealt with by Senne Lammens.
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:39 , Will Castle
So, the easy job first. Man United have made three subs: Daniel Armer for Ayden Heaven, Toby Collyer for Andrey Santos, and Tyler Thompson for Patrick Dorgu. Still no Youri Tielemans.
Now for the (nearly) completely new Leeds line-up - only Sebastiaan Bornauw has stayed on the field from the first half.
Leeds second-half XI: Cairns; Cresswell, Rodon, Bornauw; Justin, Stach, Ampadu, Gnonto; Okafor, Calvert-Lewin, Wilson.
BACK UNDERWAY! Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:35 , Will Castle
We’re off again, finally.
Give me a second and I’ll confirm all the substitutions for the second half.
Referee tells Leeds to hurry up
20:34 , Will Castle
The referee has just darted down the tunnel just to tell Leeds to politely get on with it.
The second half should’ve kicked off three minutes ago... and finally, here they come.
It’s a completely different Leeds line-up for the second period.
Here come the teams
20:32 , Will Castle
We’re getting a raft of substitutions for the second half. A few red shirts are ready on the touchline, but Leeds are still yet to come out... mind games?
Time for Tielemans?
20:24 , Will Castle
Expect a fair few changes in the opening 15 minutes of the second half - among which should include new Man United star Youri Tielemans...
All square in Dublin
20:23 , Will Castle
Dan James inspires equaliser against former club
20:21 , Will Castle
Here’s how Leeds hit back against their rivals:
Leeds hit back with their first shot on target! 💥
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 12, 2026
Brenden Aaronson with a cool finish 🥶 pic.twitter.com/5WsSZY41j6
Croke Park's first-ever club football goal
20:19 , Will Castle
Joshua Zirkzee etches his name into Croke Park history!
Devastating counterattack! 💥
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 12, 2026
Manchester United break and Joshua Zirkzee is there to finish it off 🤩 pic.twitter.com/y6QHbZMi7n
HALF-TIME! Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:16 , Will Castle
The clock ticks over to 45 minutes, and there goes the whistle!
It’s all square at the break, with Joshua Zirkzee’s opener cancelled out by Brenden Aaronson.
Both managers will be pretty encouraged by their side’s performance during that first half.
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:14 , Will Castle
43 mins: Leeds counter through a surging Dan James, but the Welshman can’t match the run with the finishes as his shot goes well over.
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:09 , Will Castle
38 mins: OFF THE BAR! Inches from 2-1 United!
It’s brilliant from Bryan Mbeumo again, who darts towards the Leeds box, puts it onto his right and fires over James Trafford.
It beats the new Leeds stopper but comes off the underside of the crossbar and bounces out!
Man United 1-1 Leeds
20:05 , Will Castle
35 mins: United looking to re-establish their lead and quick as Patrick Dorgu comes down the left.
He drills one in but James Trafford is there to dive down and meet it.
For £45m, he wasn’t going to spill that.
GOAL! Man United 1-1 Leeds (Aaronson, 29')
20:00 , Will Castle
Leeds level it with their first shot on target of the game!
Former Red Devils man Dan James nicks the ball, slips in Brenden Aaronson, and the US international makes no mistake in putting it away!
Man United 1-0 Leeds
19:58 , Will Castle
28 mins: First bit of pressure from Leeds as they lump in a couple of long throws.
Not a lot comes from either.
Man United 1-0 Leeds
19:54 , Will Castle
23 mins: CLOSE! So nearly two for United!
Bryan Mbeumo is at the centre of things again, driving United forward before trying to slip in Joshua Zirkzee.
Sebastiaan Bornauw intervenes but knocks it straight back to the Cameroonian to shoot, and he fires just wide!
Looks like James Trafford might have got a crucial fingertip to that.
Man United 1-0 Leeds
19:50 , Will Castle
20 mins: United are clicking into gear now. They’re pushing for a second, working it around the Leeds box with nice one or two-touch play.
Amad Diallo lets fly from outside the box, well over.
GOAL! Man United 1-0 Leeds (Zirkzee, 15')
19:46 , Will Castle
Joshua Zirkzee scores the first ever club goal at Croke Park!
A lot of credit to Bryan Mbeumo who splits Leeds’ defence with a pass from the left, and Zirkzee slots home in the box to break the deadlock.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:45 , Will Castle
14 mins: Leeds give it away in a dangerous position that allows United to counter with numbers, but Bryan Mbeumo’s slip-through ball to Patrick Dorgu is completely miscalculated.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:44 , Will Castle
12 mins: SAVE! Smart effort from Joshua Zirkzee, who side-foots Diogo Dalot’s pacey low delivery to the edge of the box towards the bottom-right corner - but James Trafford is equal to it.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:41 , Will Castle
10 mins: The ball is lumped into the United area, it falls to Dan James who then hits the deck and wants a penalty. The ref is having none of that one.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:40 , Will Castle
9 mins: Patrick Dorgu left frustrated with the referee as he goes through his Leeds man, while getting the ball with the sliding challenge. He’s penalised and Leeds have a free-kick inside the United half.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:38 , Will Castle
7 mins: First crack at goal sees Diogo Dalot line one up from range, letting fly a deflected effort that requires James Trafford to sidestep across and save comfortably.
Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:35 , Will Castle
4 mins: Both teams just ticking it about during the early stages.
James Trafford lingers on the ball, giving Man United fans time to remember where he’s just joined Leeds from. Cue the boos.
KICK-OFF! Man United 0-0 Leeds
19:31 , Will Castle
And we’re underway!
Croke Park packed out
19:31 , Will Castle
A strong turnout in Dublin for Croke Park’s first football match in 17 years!
Man United vs Leeds
19:29 , Will Castle
Dashed outside, burned my retinas on the solar eclipse, now all ready for some pre-season action.
The teams are out...
T-minus 10 minutes until kick-off at Croke Park
19:20 , Will Castle
Not long until kick-off as Croke Park readies itself... stay tuned for all the action!
Senne Lammens made Man United's No 1
19:15 , Will Castle
It’s not just Marcus Rashford getting a new shirt number at Man United...
Senne Lammens is back between the sticks for United tonight.
A new number. A new chapter 🔥
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 12, 2026
Senne Lammens takes the no.1 🇧🇪
The dark side of Manchester United’s season-ticket fiasco
19:10 , Will Castle
Meet Ruairi. He’s a six-year-old Manchester United fan and is football bonkers. He lives five minutes from the ground and is already a regular in the Stretford End. He was a mascot for the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the year; he’s been on away days to Seville, Istanbul and Bilbao.
This same six-year-old superfan is now under suspicion of ticket touting. Under a widespread club probe, his account has been restricted pending a review. The future of his precious season ticket is up in the air.
Ruairi is not a ticket tout.
“It’s scandalous,” his mother Kate, a season-ticket holder for 19 years, told The Independent. “You can put so much worry [on the situation]. We can’t tell our son that he’s not going to United. It’s our life, it’s what we do. It’s where I met my husband. It’s what we do every weekend together as a family. He’s obsessed.”
The dark side of Manchester United’s season-ticket fiasco
Latest odds
19:05 , Will Castle
Man Utd win: 4/5
Draw: 13/5
Leeds win: 5/2
Odds provided by BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds
Man United announce record-breaking sponsorship deal with betting firm
19:00 , Will Castle
Manchester United have announced a new multi-year training kit sponsorship agreement with Betway, which the club claims is the largest of its kind in global football.
While the specific financial terms of the deal have not been officially disclosed, reports suggest that Super Group, the parent company of the Betway brand, will contribute an estimated £20 million per season.
This substantial investment will see the Betway logo prominently displayed on the training kits for both United’s men’s and women’s teams, as well as around Old Trafford and the Progress with Unity Stadium on matchdays.
Man United announce record-breaking sponsorship deal with betting firm
Would Jose Mourinho have worked as Alex Ferguson’s replacement?
18:50 , Will Castle
Jose Mourinho has revealed had agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and had signed a contract at Old Trafford before deciding to rejoin Chelsea .
In a new Netflix documentary about the Portuguese, Ferguson even reveals that Mourinho phoned him in tears, explaining that he couldn’t take charge of United in 2013.
Mourinho would eventually join United in 2016, but his two-and-a-half year spell ended with the sack – while United have still not won the Premier League since Ferguson’s departure.
But how different could the Premier League have been had Mourinho come to United three years earlier? Jamie Braidwood takes a look:
Would Jose Mourinho have worked as Alex Ferguson’s replacement?
The night Leeds conquered at Old Trafford
18:40 , Will Castle
The last time these two rivals faced, Leeds ended a 45-year wait to win a league match at the home of Manchester United, Old Trafford.
It was a big night across the Pennines - relive it with Richard Jolly’s report:
Leeds make history in rare Old Trafford win but the real loser isn’t Man Utd
Confirmed Leeds line-up
18:33 , Will Castle
James Trafford starts for Leeds to make his debut between the sticks.
Ao Tanaka, Brenden Aaronson and Lukas Nmecha also come into the side following their win over RB Leipzig.
Leeds XI: Trafford; Muharemovic, Bijol, Bornauw; Bogle, Longstaff, Tanaka, Chadwick; Aaronson, Nmecha, James.
Subs: Cairns, Mahady, Lienou, Justin, Rodon, Cresswell, Ampadu, Stach, Okafor, Mills, Wilson, Gnonto, Calvert-Lewin, Piroe.
📋 Your #LUFC XI... pic.twitter.com/QpIL2wc3T9
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 12, 2026
Confirmed Man United line-up
18:25 , Will Castle
Youri Tielemans starts on the bench for Man United as Michael Carrick names a much-changed team to the one that faced PSG last week.
Youngsters Harry Amass and Tyler Fletcher get starts, while Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot come in at the back.
New signing Andrey Santos gets another start.
Man United XI: Lammens; Dalot, Heaven, Yoro, Amass; Santos, T. Fletcher; Amad, Mbeumo, Dorgu; Zirkzee.
Subs: Heath, Honor, Mee, Armer, Shaw, Collyer, Fernandes, J. Fletcher, Tielemans, Cunha, Gabriel, Lacey, Thompson.
All set for some Wednesday night football ⚽️🔥
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 12, 2026
Watch United v Leeds LIVE on MUTV, with build up starting from 18:30 BST 📲
The return of Marcus Rashford
18:20 , Will Castle
Marcus Rashford has joined up with the Manchester United squad having not played for the club since December 2024.
The England international has been out of the club’s plans since the early days of Ruben Amorim’s ill-fated reign after falling out with the Portuguese international.
He subsequently spent the second half of 2024/25 on loan at Aston Villa before getting a dream move to Barcelona, where he bagged eight LaLiga goals.
Despite becoming something of a fan favourite, Barca willingly let the purchase option and release clause in Rashford’s contract to expire, opting instead for a big-money move for his Three Lions team-mate Anthony Gordon (ouch).
But instead of being tasked with finding a new club, Carrick has brought Rashford back into the fold, giving him the No 14 shirt and reintegrating him into the squad.
It’s unlikely he’ll feature today, along with the other recent returners like Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo, but it’s a positive step for the winger.
Third time lucky for Youri Tielemans
18:10 , Will Castle
New boy Youri Tielemans is set to start for Michael Carrick’s side tonight - and he revealed it was third time lucky when he joined last month.
"There had been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything," he recalled.
"I was very calm. I was not expecting much this summer, to be fair. I was just focused on my football, focused on the World Cup and trying to perform my best for my country.
"But you know every summer something can happen, and obviously I was aware of the clause.
"I am very thankful to Aston Villa. I owe them the world. It is a great club, we did amazing things, and they have put me back to my best level. But there are clubs above Villa, and Manchester United is one of them.
"It is a great achievement for any footballer to end up here. It means you have done well in your career. But it does not end there. I want to be successful."
Football returns to Croke Park after 17 years
18:01 , Will Castle
Dublin’s iconic Croke Park plays host to this evening’s friendly-in-name-only clash between Manchester United and Leeds.
Football has not been played the home of Gaelic games since 2009, with the Republic of Ireland national team swapping Croke Park for the newly-built Aviva Stadium in 2010.
The last game to be played there? Ireland’s 1-0 first-leg defeat to France in the World Cup play-offs, courtesy of Nicolas Anelka’s winner. The second leg went down in greater infamy, thanks to a certain Thierry Henry and his hand.
Leeds team news
17:45 , Will Castle
James Trafford is set to make his Leeds debut after missing their win over Leipzig, a match which saw Wilfred Gnonto star off the bench. The Italian could be rewarded with a start as a result.
Predicted Leeds XI: Trafford; Muharemovic, Rodon, Bijol; Bogle, Longstaff, Ampadu, Justin; Wilson, Calvert-Lewin, Gnonto.
Man United team news
17:40 , Will Castle
Marcus Rashford is back with the Man United squad as Michael Carrick looks to reintegrate the winger back into the fold.
Kobbie Mainoo may also play his first minutes of pre-season, while Benjamin Sesko is available after missing the entirety of pre-season so far with injury.
Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha both missed the PSG game through illness and are also back in contention to feature, but Mason Mount will not feature after picking up a knock in that match.
Predicted Man United XI: Lammens; Dalot, Heaven, Maguire, Shaw; Santos, Tielemans, Fernandes; Amad, Mbeumo, Dorgu.
Is Man United vs Leeds on TV?
17:35 , Will Castle
Manchester United’s clash with Leeds kicks off at 7:30pm BST on Wednesday 12 August at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown free-to-air on ITV1, while also being available to subscribers on MUTV. Fans can stream the match on ITVX.
Man United vs Leeds LIVE!
17:30 , Will Castle
Leeds United and Manchester United continue their preparations for the new Premier League season as old foes renew their rivalry at Croke Park in Dublin.
This will be another chapter in a storied history between the pair as they collide at the home of Irish sport just 10 days before the start of their league campaigns. Michael Carrick’s side impressed in a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend as Youri Tielemans made his bow for the club, though injury worries over Mason Mount may underline the need for more midfield reinforcements.
Leeds have had a relatively eye-catching summer with James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson all high-profile additions. Wins over Liverpool and RB Leipzig have shown encouraging signs and Daniel Farke will be keen to keep the momentum rolling ahead of their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest next Saturday.
Good evening!
17:10 , Will Castle
Hello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Manchester United’s pre-season clash with rivals Leeds at the iconic Croke Park.
We’ll bring you all the latest team news, build-up and updates from the clash.
