Erik ten Hag‘s Manchester United were beaten 4-2 by La Liga side Cadiz in the first of two mid-World Cup friendlies in Spain for the Reds.
The twenty-time league champions were 2-0 down inside the first 15 minutes with Carlos Garcia and Choco Lozano scoring for the hosts at the Nuevo Mirandilla.
Anthony Martial reduced the deficit from the spot with a Panenka penalty after Zidane Iqbal was pulled back following a neat one two with the Frenchman.
Martin Dubravka was the only player to start the game who came back out for the second half with Ten Hag opting to change every outfield player.
Seventeen-year-old Kobbie Mainoo brought United level inside three minutes of the second half with his shot from inside the penalty area finding the back of the net via a deflection.
Cadiz retook the lead in the 57th minute with Ruben Sobrino volleying home a shot that was heading wide from inside the penalty area.
Tomas Alarcon punished Charlie Savage’s mistake in the 77th minute to give the hosts a commanding lead.
Here are five things we learned from the friendly against Cadiz who sit 19th in La Liga.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka struggles on first start under Ten Hag
Aside from a four-minute cameo off the bench against Liverpool back in August, United’s number 29 hasn’t featured under the former Ajax manager.
With Diogo Dalot, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw on World Cup duty, the 25-year-old was given a rare runout, but he failed to grasp his chance and Ten Hag’s stance on the former Crystal Palace man being surplus to requirements isn’t likely to change.
FA Youth Cup winning right-back Marc Jurado looked far more comfortable playing in Ten Hag’s side than the man who was signed for £50m three-and-a-half years ago.
Lack of leadership at the back exposed
With Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire in Qatar, Teden Mengi made his first appearance under Ten Hag and the 20-year-old partnered Victor Lindelof in the heart of United’s defence.
The ease in which Cadiz scored the opener would have irked Ten Hag, but with a lack of leaders to organise United’s marking – our defence looked sub-par and disjointed.
Ten Hag involved in exchange with Cadiz boss
It may have been a friendly, but there were certainly some tasty challenges flying in from both sides.
Ten Hag felt that Cadiz winger Ivan Alejo had gone to ground easily following a challenge from Brandon Williams and Alejo and the 52-year-old exchanged words.
Ten Hag then spoke with Cadiz boss Sergio Gonzalez, but things were quickly resolved.
Alejandro Garnacho gesturing in frustration like Cristiano Ronaldo
Alongside Martial, the Argentina Under-20 international was no doubt the star of Ten Hag’s team.
But just three weeks after netting the winner against Fulham, United’s number 49 endured a frustrating night.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the wonderkid’s idol, but there three occasions against Cadiz where the teenager reacted in the same petulant manner the five-time Ballon d’Or winner repeatedly displayed during the latter days of his time at Old Trafford.
He gestured his displeasure to Williams and Elanga’s decision making in possession, and he also made his feelings known that he wasn’t awarded a free-kick for what he believed was a foul.
Anthony Martial looks sharp
United’s number nine cut a frustrated figure at times as he felt he wasn’t receiving the ball quick enough.
But after testing Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma from range early in the first half, the former Monaco man got his goal from the spot.
Playing in a friendly isn’t quite the same as having a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals on the line, but like Morocco and Paris Saint Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi, the 27-year-old couldn’t resist producing a cheeky Panenka.