Manchester United line up Atlético Madrid friendly

Erik ten Hag will have an early chance to test his Manchester United team against European opponents as the club announced a pre-season friendly with Atlético Madrid. United will tackle Atlético at Oslo’s Ullevaal stadium on Saturday 30 July - the weekend before the 2022/23 Premier League season gets underway. The fixture sees United take on the team that knocked them out of the Champions League at the Last 16 stage this season.

Ralf Rangnick oversaw a 1-1 draw in Madrid followed by a 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford, but the interim boss has stepped aside after former Ajax head coach Ten Hag was named manager on a three-year contract.

United football director John Murtough, who alongside Ten Hag is set to lead a major overhaul of the club’s playing staff during the summer, said the Atlético game would be a significant fixture. “Pre-season is such an important part of the squad’s preparations for the season ahead,” Murtough said. “Our players and coaching staff will be relishing the opportunity to play against such a high-calibre opponent in Atlético Madrid, as well as the chance to perform in front of a full stadium of passionate Norwegian fans.”

United’s season

United finished a dismal season sixth in the Premier League table, losing all of their last six away games, finishing with their fewest points since 1989-90, and ending the campaign with a goal difference of zero.

Atlético, a year on from winning the LaLiga title, finished third in the Spanish top flight as Real Madrid took top spot and Barcelona edged into second position.