UK Edition
Manchester United 2 Sampdoria 1: Nemanja Matic shows his steel and looks a steal in Dublin victory
It has been a strange paradox of Chelsea’s outlook under Roman Abramovich that a club so ruthless with their managers can sometimes show such consideration to their players.
Jose Mourinho made no attempt to hide his opposition to Petr Cech being sold to Arsenal two years ago and, having also previously outlined bafflement at Chelsea selling Nemanja Matic to Benfica, he can have scarcely believed his good fortune this week when Abramovich sanctioned his departure to Manchester United. At £40 million, the signing of Matic might just prove to be the pivotal domestic moment of even this most extraordinary transfer window.
Yes, it was understandable that Chelsea should want to move on after buying Tiemoue Bakayoko and being unable to persuade Matic to extend a contract that did not expire until 2019. But to a direct Premier League rival like United? And to Mourinho?
Chelsea have already been outflanked once this summer by their former manager over Romelu Lukaku and have now allowed him to add even more physicality and proven Premier League quality to this United team.
The likely importance this season of Matic was quickly evident in Mourinho’s decision to start him here in United’s final pre-season friendly against Sampdoria. Matic, who respectively missed only two and three games in Chelsea’s league title winning seasons in 2014-15 and 2016-17, was left off their pre-season tour and had been training largely alone. He has also had one training session at United after completing his transfer only on Monday but you would barely have known.
He immediately took up centre stage in front of a three-man defence and was soon both dictating the tempo and assuming his usual policeman-like responsibilities. Most important of all, there were clear signs that his presence will liberate more creative players.
While Matic barely lost possession, there was still a sloppy and almost costly start here from Daley Blind. He did not properly check on the positioning of David de Gea before delivering a back-pass that required the Spain goalkeeper to scramble back into his goal-mouth and claw the ball to safety. It meant conceding a free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box for handling a back-pass but, in blocking the attempted shot, United’s wall also set up a counter-attack from which they took the lead.
Matteo Darmian deserved particular credit for his cross from out wide on the left that was bundled in by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Lukaku almost put United ahead but, after cutting inside from the left, shot just outside the post
Mkhitaryan also had a good chance to extend the lead but his header from Antonio Valencia’s cross was directed straight at Sampdoria goalkeeper Christian Puggioni.
With the European Super Cup looming next Tuesday against Real Madrid, Mourinho wanted to rotate his players but, with Matic coming off, United lost some of their rhythm in the second half. Dennis Praet had equalised for Sampdoria but Juan Mata then delivered a brilliantly taken left-footed winner after running onto Anthony Martial’s clever cross.
After the match Mourinho urged Phil Jones to appeal his two-match suspension for verbally abusing a doping control officer and urged Uefa to reconsider their procedures in the special circumstances of a major final.
Jones was unhappy after being led away while the rest of the Manchester United team gathered to celebrate victory in the Europa League final over Ajax in May with a banner that paid tribute to the city following the terrorist attacks at the Ariana Grande concert.
Uefa also charged Daley Blind with violation and non-compliance of Article 6.05, which states that "every player designated to undergo as doping control is personally responsible for reporting immediately to the doping control station". Blind was pictured in the photograph while accompanied by a Uefa chaperone. He was fined €5,000 but Jones was also suspended for his outburst and will now miss the Uefa Super Cup match against Real Madrid next Tuesday and United's first Champions League group match in September.
United can still appeal the sanction and Mourinho has urged Uefa to consider the wider circumstances.
“Put yourself in his position; he wins a European cup, he wants to celebrate with his team, he wants to get the cup, the medal, he wants to be in the pictures, and one doctor wants to close him in a small room because of the doping control,” said Mourinho.
“I think it's very hard to control a player in this situation and Uefa should take that into consideration. It's not a normal match, it's a final and I think it would be easier for the doping control committee to have someone at the pitch with him. It was just a human desire to celebrate.”
Asked if there should be an appeal, Mourinho said: “If I was him I would, because I think it's quite unfair but when you do that you have the risk of more punishment.”