Hello, and welcome to our liveblog of the first Premier League Friday night game of the season.
We’ll have the team news shortly.
The United team is out and Pogba starts competitively for the first time since re-joining the club.
Here’s the Southampton team for tonight, with Ireland’s Shane Long included.
We’re underway…
Poor first touch by Pogba allows Sourthampton to break.
They ultimately win a free-kick on the edge of the box, which is hammered straight into the wall by Tadic.
The hosts will be aware of Southampton’s phenomenal pace on the counter-attack.
Man United have put some pressure on in recent minutes.
Valencia has already posed Southampton a few problems with his pace down the right.
A clever through ball from Mata almost plays through Valencia, but Davis makes a timely interception.
The hosts have looked the far more dominant team in recent minutes.
Southampton are forced into an early change.
Oriol Romeu hobbles off and Jordy Clasie comes on in his place.
First attempt on goal from Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman receives the ball from Ibrahimovic at the edge of the box. His shot is powerful but straight at Fraser Forster.
Cedric plays through Tadic, but Bailly shows an impressive turn of pace to calmly intercept the ball and avert the danger.
It’s early days, but the young defender has certainly made an encouraging start to his Old Trafford career.
Encouraging moment for Southampton.
Nathan Redmond breaks the United offside trap, and his cross narrowly eludes the onrushing Tadic.
The Glazers are in the house.
Long shoots narrowly wide.
It was a sharp turn from the Ireland international on the edge of the box, as a lofted free-kick fell into his path.
Mata flicks on Pogba’s cross, and Ibrahimovic’s scissors kick goes narrowly wide.
Moments later, Ibrahimovic finds himself in a promising position, but his cross is deflected out for a corner.
United’s attack has been quiet enough in recent minutes, but they certainly have the capacity to produce something out of nothing.
Tadic plays an incisive early through ball to Long.
However, the Ireland striker’s effort from the edge of the area is weak. — he’ll be disappointed with that.
MAN UNITED 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON (IBRAHIMOVIC 36)
Ibrahimovic scores his second Premier League goal in as many games.
The Swede powerfully heads home from a well-executed cross by Rooney.
Southampton will be disappointed with that — Davis was very slow in closing down Rooney.
Ibrahimovic has been quiet enough so far, but if he can do nothing other than finish as he did there on a regular basis for the rest of the season, he will be well worth those lucrative wages.
On a sidenote, it was Jose Fonte who was comfortably beaten in the air for the goal — his prospective employers can’t be too impressed with that.
The ball falls to Davis on the edge of the box, but he shoots well over.
The Saints have been disappointing in the final third so far.
HALF-TIME: MAN UNITED 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON
It’s half-time, and it’s been solid rather than spectacular as far as United are concerned.
The difference from last season isn’t huge, but as he showed with his goal, Ibrahimovic has brought a clinical edge to the side that was invariably missing previously.
Meanwhile, at the back, United have looked relatively solid. At one point, Redmond broke the offside trap before overhitting a cross, while Long had a half chance, but finished poorly on the edge of the box.
For the most part, however, United have been untroubled, and the game is panning out in a manner not too dissimilar to last weekend’s clash with Bournemouth.
The second half has begun…
Some lovely passing from Southampton ends with Tadic heading home, but it’s ruled out for an infringement.
Moments later, Forster can only parry a powerful Martial shot from outside the box.
PENALTY TO MAN UNITED!
MAN UNITED 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON (IBRAHIMOVIC 52)
Ibrahimovic confidently slots the ball home, after a really poor challenge from Clasie on Shaw to concede the penalty.
Looks like there’s no coming back from here, as far as Southampton are concerned.
A cross falls to Redmond, but he fluffs his shot under pressure from charging United defenders.
There’s been some promising build-up play from the visitors tonight, but they patently lack the clinical finisher that United possess in the form of Ibrahimovic.
Redmond plays it to Clasie on the edge of the box, but the midfielder’s wild attempt goes well off target.
Southampton have just one attempt on target tonight, compared to United’s five.
Pogba misses a chance for a debut goal.
The France international’s header from a corner goes just over.
Martial charges through on goal, but Van Dijk gets back superbly to make a last-ditch block.
United look the far more likely of the two sides to score the next goal.
Ibrahimovic plays a perfect cross to Martial, who controls the ball but can’t quite connect with it.
The atmosphere at Old Trafford is as good as it’s been for a long time tonight.
Meanwhile, Charlie Austin has replaced Steven Davis, as Southampton look to go all-out attack for the final 20 minutes.
United are opening up Southampton at will now.
Martial beats the full-back and crosses for Ibrahimovic, who can’t quite direct the header on target.
Redmond breaks and the through pass to Charlie Austin is on, but the youngster plays it behind him and the attack loses all its momentum.
The difference in class between the two sides in the final third has been stark tonight.
A cross is played in to Long, whose header from a difficult angle goes narrowly wide.
Meanwhile, Juan Mata is replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Another half chance, as Martial’s through ball just misses Ibrahimovic.
The 34-year-old Swede is beginning to look quite tired now.
Herrera is replaced by Martial.
Most didn’t expect Pogba to play the full 90 minutes tonight, but it looks like that is going to be the case now.
Another Southampton substitution, as Shane Long is replaced by Jay Rodriguez.
The Irishman doesn’t look at all happy to be coming off.
The ball is pulled back to Tadic, who fails to hit the target from the edge of the box.
Southampton haven’t really been good enough to break United down tonight.
Rooney gives the armband to Blind, as he’s taken off to be replaced by Chris Smalling.
Looks like Mourinho is particularly keen to secure a clean sheet tonight.
Ibrahimovic, unsurprisingly, has just been named man of the match.
Mkhitaryan plays a lovely weighted pass to Pogba, who slices his shot wide.
Ibrahimovic is not happy with the French midfielder.
FULL-TIME: MAN UNITED 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON
So that’s that, as an Ibrahimovic-inspired United earn a convincing win over a toothless Southampton outfit.
Thanks for reading and commenting, and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
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