Andrej Santos showcased his potential during his debut for Manchester United, although the team fell 1-0 to Wrexham in a pre-season friendly held in Helsinki.
Sam Smith netted the decisive goal just six minutes before halftime, converting an opportunity after his header struck the crossbar during a defensive corner.
Missing key players who participated in this summer’s World Cup, including Benjamin Sesko and new addition Youri Tielemans, manager Michael Carrick had his hands full in front of a crowd of 20,000 in the Finnish capital.
Santos, who arrived from Chelsea for a reported £48 million ($64 million) just days prior, found himself positioned at the base of midfield alongside Mason Mount.
Prior to the match, Carrick praised the 22-year-old’s enthusiasm, stating that Santos had quickly integrated into the team and displayed a commendable attitude.
Santos’s first notable action came early on when he cleared the ball after goalkeeper Tom Heaton failed to secure possession under pressure.
He drew a foul from Lewis O’Brien in the eighth minute, but the opportunity quickly faded as the referee’s whistle blew against Wrexham. A sliding block against O’Brien shortly after highlighted his defensive capabilities, as he adjusted to the pace of the game, distributing a variety of passes and winning crucial duels.
Wrexham, having faced Wisła Krakow in Poland the previous weekend, created further threats, notably when Bailey Cadamarteri intercepted the ball from Aiden Haven near the box.
Manchester United’s first significant chance arrived in the 24th minute with Joshua Zirkzee’s attempt going wide. Smith nearly put Wrexham ahead, but his header struck the crossbar after another corner just before halftime.
In a swift turn of events, Smith found the net effortlessly just moments later, capitalizing on a cross from O’Brien that skirted through Harry Maguire’s legs, leaving Smith with an easy tap-in to break the deadlock.
In a dramatic overhaul at halftime, Carrick fielded a completely new lineup made up of academy players as Wrexham retained only Aaron James. Despite dominating possession, United struggled to convert chances as the pace of the encounter slowed. Wrexham responded with a low strike from Davis Keilor-Dunn that was saved by Radek Vitek.
United’s first shot on target occurred in the 78th minute when Ethan Wheatley tipped Harry Amass’s cross toward goal, only for Dan Ward to deny Shay Lacey’s low drive.
As the match approached its conclusion, Dan Gore fired a shot on target in stoppage time, but his pleas for a penalty were turned down by the referee, sealing the defeat for United.
