Melbourne, July 20 (BUS): Manchester United striker Anthony Martial scored his third goal in the preparatory season as he beat Crystal Palace 3-1 in a friendly match.
The win in front of a crowd of 76,499 at Melbourne Cricket Ground continued new coach Erik ten Hag’s bright start after winning 4-1 at Melbourne Victory and 4-0 against Liverpool in Bangkok last week, Reuters reported.
France striker Martial, who was loaned to Sevilla in the January transfer window, scored his first goal in the 17th minute and has now scored in all three matches of the Asian tour.
He also had a hand in the second-half goals of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho before Palace fell back late when Joel Ward headed home from a corner kick, hitting goalkeeper David de Gea.
With Cristiano Ronaldo excused from the tour due to a family issue, Martial was the main threat to United up front, partnering well with Sancho and Rashford.
Martial saved in the tenth minute a shock from Jack Butland, but the Palace goalkeeper suffered a thumb injury and stopped the shot and had to go out.
Buttland’s substitute Remy Matthews could do nothing to stop Martial soon after when the unmarked Frenchman curled a cross from Diogo Dalot into the far corner and fired it from close range.
Both teams fired a raft of substitutions after the hour mark, allowing the Palace to eventually rally for an incoming goal.
United played the last few minutes with ten men after 19-year-old substitute defender Will Fish, recruited late in the round, received a red card for dragging Victor Akinwali out of the penalty area.
United, who finished sixth in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for the Champions League, concluded their Australian tour with a friendly match against Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday.