Ruben Amorim’s Man United Reunion Ends in 4-2 AC Milan Win as Rashford Returns

Ruben Amorim got his revenge. Seven months after Manchester United sacked him, the Portuguese coach returned to face his former club on Saturday as AC Milan’s new manager, and he left Wroclaw, Poland with a 4-2 comeback win that sent United into the new Premier League season with a sour taste in their mouths.

Amorim was dismissed by United in January 2026 after a rocky 14-month spell that never got the club back into the top half of the table. He resurfaced at AC Milan over the summer, and this pre-season friendly at the Tarczynski Arena marked his first meeting with United since being let go. Michael Carrick, who took over as United’s head coach, brought his squad to Poland for their final pre-season tune-up before next Saturday’s Premier League opener at newly promoted Hull City, and the day ended up defined by two storylines: Amorim’s win over the team that fired him, and Marcus Rashford’s first United appearance since December 2024.

United Led Twice Before Milan’s Second-Half Surge

United started fast. Harry Maguire headed United in front just two minutes in, but Samuel Chukwueze pulled Milan level before halftime. Bruno Fernandes then missed a penalty that would have restored United’s lead, with Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani guessing correctly to save it. Patrick Dorgu put United back in front in the 51st minute, but that’s when the match tipped decisively toward Amorim’s side. Alphadjo Cisse equalized in the 57th minute, and Milan took the lead for good six minutes later when Goncalo Ramos scored in the 68th, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek adding a fourth just three minutes after that. The final scoreline read 4-2, Milan’s first win of the pre-season after previous draws with Celtic and Inter Milan and a heavy 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

For Amorim, beating his old club carried obvious weight. He departed Old Trafford on bad terms in January, and Saturday’s result — however meaningless in the standings — gave him a measure of satisfaction ahead of Milan’s Serie A opener against Torino on August 23. Several United players were seen speaking with Amorim after the final whistle, a reunion moment that underscored just how fresh the split still is for a group of players he managed for over a year.

Rashford’s Long-Awaited Return

The other headline belonged to Rashford, who came off the bench for his first United appearance in more than a year and a half. The forward was frozen out under Amorim last season and spent time away from the first team, but Carrick has talked up his rehabilitation throughout preseason, saying before the match that Rashford had “trained really hard” alongside fellow returnees Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo. Notably, Rashford made his comeback against the very manager who had shut him out — a subplot that added extra intrigue to an otherwise routine summer friendly. Luke Shaw, Christian Eriksen and midfielders like Tielemans and Cunha also featured as Carrick continues shaping his group before Sunday’s real competition begins.

Carrick, promoted from within after Amorim’s exit, now carries the pressure of turning around a United side that finished well outside the Champions League places last season. Saturday’s defeat won’t count for anything in the league table, but dropping a pre-season friendly to a rival manager who was fired seven months ago is not the story United wanted heading into their opener. Fans and oddsmakers alike will be watching closely to see how Carrick’s group responds once the Premier League odds actually matter, starting next weekend at Hull City.

For Milan, the win offers momentum after a winless preseason slate under Amorim, even if his side still has just over a week to sharpen up before Serie A action begins. For United, the loss is a reminder that questions about squad depth and consistency — the same issues that got Amorim fired in the first place — haven’t fully gone away under his successor.