Manchester United Beat Leeds 5-4 on Penalties After 1-1 Croke Park Draw

Manchester United defeated Leeds United 5-4 on penalties after their preseason friendly finished 1-1 at Croke Park in Dublin, adding another positive result to Michael Carrick’s preparations for the 2026-27 season.

Joshua Zirkzee put United ahead in the 16th minute after combining with Bryan Mbeumo, but Leeds responded quickly through Brenden Aaronson in the 29th.

Neither side found another goal during the remaining hour despite opportunities at both ends, sending the friendly directly to penalties.

United eventually prevailed 5-4 in the shootout, settling another fiercely contested meeting between two clubs whose rivalry has rarely paid much attention to the word “friendly.”

For Manchester United, the result extends an encouraging preseason in which Carrick has continued experimenting with personnel and structure ahead of the new Premier League campaign. Leeds, meanwhile, showed enough during the 90 minutes to leave Dublin with positives despite losing the shootout.

Manchester United vs Leeds: Match at a Glance

Match detail	Information
Competition	Club friendly
Venue	Croke Park, Dublin
Regulation score	Manchester United 1-1 Leeds United
Penalty shootout	Manchester United won 5-4
Manchester United scorer	Joshua Zirkzee, 16′
Leeds scorer	Brenden Aaronson, 29′
United manager	Michael Carrick
Leeds manager	Daniel Farke
United’s next preseason match	AC Milan
Main storyline	United hold their nerve in the shootout after Leeds respond to Zirkzee’s opener

Fans following the buildup to the new English season can find The Sports Encounter’s complete Premier League 2026-27 preview, including fixtures, transfers, managers and early title expectations.

Zirkzee Strikes Early for Manchester United

Zirkzee needed only 16 minutes to make his mark.

Mbeumo played an important role in creating the opening, and Zirkzee completed the move to give United the first advantage of the night.

The goal continued what has quietly become an encouraging preseason for the Dutch forward.

Zirkzee had already impressed during United’s emphatic victory in Norway, when he scored in the 5-0 preseason win over Rosenborg and contributed to some of the team’s best attacking football.

His value to Carrick is about more than finishing.

Zirkzee can drop away from central defenders, connect midfield with the attacking line and give runners space to move around him. Mbeumo’s involvement in the goal against Leeds offered another glimpse of how Carrick could use that combination once competitive football begins.

Preseason performances come with obvious qualifications, but players fighting for minutes still need to make their opportunities count.

Zirkzee is doing that.

Inches away 🤏

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 12, 2026

Aaronson Gives Leeds a Quick Response

Leeds did not allow United to control the match after falling behind.

Aaronson equalized in the 29th minute, beating Senne Lammens and restoring parity only 13 minutes after Zirkzee’s opener.

It was another notable contribution against Manchester United from the American midfielder.

Aaronson had also scored when the clubs drew 1-1 at Elland Road in January, giving him goals against United in both competitive and preseason meetings during 2026.

More importantly for Daniel Farke, Leeds responded instead of allowing the early goal to change the character of their performance.

That mattered.

Their summer has included considerable squad movement as they prepare for another Premier League campaign. The club has added new personnel, including Wales international Harry Wilson on a four-year contract, while goalkeeper James Trafford has arrived following his departure from Manchester City.

The Sports Encounter recently examined how Trafford’s move also contributed to Gerónimo Rulli returning to Manchester City.

Against United, Leeds looked capable of competing rather than simply surviving the occasion.

Why the Second Goal Never Arrived

The opening half hour suggested a potentially high-scoring night.

Instead, the match tightened considerably after Aaronson’s equalizer.

Both managers were balancing the desire to win with the more important preseason requirements of managing workloads, assessing combinations and giving players competitive minutes.

That often changes the rhythm of August friendlies.

Substitutions interrupt continuity, players operate at different stages of physical preparation, and coaches may resist chasing a result with the urgency expected during the Premier League season.

The rivalry still provided plenty of edge.

United and Leeds have one of English football’s most recognizable football relationships, and moving the fixture to Dublin did little to remove the intensity surrounding it.

Croke Park provided a distinctive backdrop, with the famous Irish venue hosting the two Premier League clubs before their domestic campaigns begin.

Manchester United had officially announced the fixture as part of their 2026 Tour, with further club information available through the official Manchester United website.

Penalties Finally Separate Manchester United and Leeds

With the score still 1-1 after 90 minutes, the match went directly to penalties.

United won the shootout 5-4.

A preseason penalty shootout will never carry the consequences of a cup knockout match, but it still gives coaches an opportunity to watch players deal with a very specific form of pressure.

Technique matters from 12 yards. Composure matters more.

There is also value in goalkeepers experiencing the routine and players going through the process before competitive knockout football arrives later in the season.

United emerged with the win, although the narrow shootout margin reflected how little had separated the teams during regulation.

Carrick’s Manchester United Continue to Build

The broader picture may matter more to Carrick than the result itself.

United enter 2026-27 with expectations considerably higher than they carried into last season.

Carrick guided Manchester United to third place in the Premier League, securing a return to Champions League football and earning the permanent managerial position.

That improvement has placed United among the teams being discussed in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the Premier League’s leading 2026-27 title contenders.

Their preseason has provided several different tests.

United responded to an early loss against Wrexham by putting five past Rosenborg. They later defeated Atlético Madrid and drew with European champions Paris Saint-Germain before facing Leeds in Dublin.

That PSG match provides useful context because Luis Enrique’s side have also been navigating a compressed summer following the World Cup, something examined in our PSG vs Aston Villa UEFA Super Cup preview.

The Leeds game was different.

There was less space, fewer goals and eventually a shootout.

Carrick will probably appreciate experiencing all three.

What Manchester United Can Take From the Leeds Win

Zirkzee’s goal is the most obvious individual positive.

His preseason has strengthened his claim for meaningful minutes, while his ability to combine with Mbeumo gives Carrick another attacking configuration to consider.

United also went through 90 minutes against Premier League opposition without allowing the match to get away from them after Aaronson equalized.

Then came the penalties.

Winning them will not earn a trophy or a league point, but successful preseasons are built partly around creating confidence before the matches that count.

Manchester United leave Dublin with another result, another Zirkzee goal and another piece of Carrick’s developing team taking shape.

Leeds leave with evidence that they can compete with one of last season’s top three.

For more match reports, transfer developments and tactical analysis throughout the season, follow The Sports Encounter’s soccer coverage.

The Premier League will provide much harder answers soon enough.