Brady impresses as United win in Durban

Manchester United began their preparations for the new season with an unconvincing win over South African outfit AmaZulu in Durban.

Federico Macheda scored the only goal midway through the first half. An experimental United side — who included Ireland U21 rising star Robbie Brady as a makeshift left-bank, a role in which he impressed — looked short of their best, with keeper Anders Lindegaard called on to make a couple of decent saves, while the hosts were denied a penalty due to an offside flag.

The United line-up included four players yet to make their competitive debuts. United’s £17m new boy Shinji Kagawa made a late substitute appearance too. Macheda broke the deadlock when he collected Dimitar Berbatov’s pass and found the net.

The experiment of converting Ireland Under-21 international Brady into a full-back showed promise.

United now face Ajax Cape Town in Cape Town on Saturday.

Meanwhile new boy Gylfi Sigurdsson scored last night as Tottenham beat Stevenage 2-0 last night, Iago Falque scoring the other.

UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg: AEL 3 Linfield 0. BATE 3 Vardar Skopje 2. Buducnost Podgorica 0 Slask Wroclaw 2. Ludogorets 1 Dinamo Zagreb 1. Maribor 4 Zeljeznicar Sarajevo 1. Molde 3 FK Ventspils 0.