MANCHESTER UNITED fell to their second defeat in their mid-season friendlies after Real Betis came out victors over the Red Devils.
Nabil Fekir netted the only goal of the game as Erik ten Hag's youthful side fell to defeat.
This marked the second consecutive defeat after losing 4-2 to Cadiz on Wednesday.
And this was not the only blow that United suffered, with Donny Van de Beek being replaced in the starting XI just moments before the match kicked-off.
Furthermore, youngster Teden Mengi was stretchered off with an injury.
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Get all the latest news and gossip coming out of Old Trafford…
Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford did England proud at the World Cup.
However, the Three Lions' World Cup dream came to an end at the hands of world champions France.
A late penalty miss by captain Harry Kane handed the French a 2-1 win and they will now face dark horses Morocco in the semis.
Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot suffered heartbreak.
The Portuguese duo were unable to stop Morocco.
Lisandro Martinez, however, is still going with Argentina, who play 2018 finalists Croatia in the semis next week.
Onto the transfer news… Erik ten Hag was more than happy for Ronnie to move on, despite his mammoth £480k-a-week wages.
As a result, United told Ronaldo they would cover the majority of his salary for the remainder of the season.
And any new club needed to pay just £80k each week for Ronnie’s services.
Man Utd also now know what they have to do sign Goncalo Ramos.
The Portuguese superstar, who burst on the scene with a hat-trick in the World Cup, was tracked by the Red Devils in the summer.
According to Sport Witness, his club Benfica have no plans of selling their star asset in January.
It would take a huge offer to twist their arm – and his £120million release clause will have to be met.
Roy Keane admits he has hurt his KNEES while out in Qatar.
That’s after jumping into a BIN while celebrating a goal in a game between ITV and BBC pundits.
Manchester United legend Keane is out in the Middle East giving the public his brilliant thoughts on this year’s World Cup.
The Irishman has made fans laugh and gasp in equal measure with his deadpan opinions.
But even Keane is capable of loosening up when the occasion is right.
He took part in a friendly kick-about with his ITV chums and their BBC counterparts this week.
Chris Smalling is being targeted by Juventus and Inter Milan but prefers to stay at Roma, reports suggest.
Smalling, 33, has risen to prominence in Italy ever since joining the Giallorossi in 2019 and has turned into one of manager Jose Mourinho’s most prominent figures in the capital.
However, the ex-Manchester United ace’s deal runs out in June and wants another big contract as he has already reached an advanced age.
According to Sky Sports in Italy, the centre-back has attracted interest from both Inter and Juventus.
Juve are dealing with a crisis that was sparked after the board was forced to resign over allegations of doctoring wages and inflating player values.
Therefore, the Bianconeri look set to approach the transfer market in a more conservative manner and focus on free transfers.
Lautaro Martinez has all the reasons in the world to celebrate after scoring the winning penalty in Argentina's shootout against Holland.
And after scoring the winner on the pitch, it appears Martinez is also winning off the pitch with stunning Wag Agustina Gandolfo.
Erik ten Hag saw his mix’n’match side slump to another warm-up defeat.
And the result, following a 4–2 loss to Cadiz three days earlier, will surely have left him with mixed feelings about the trip to southern Spain.
Nabil Fekir nabbed the winner and it will have been not so much the loss but the lack of any real attacking ambition that will have left Ten Hag scratching that shiny head of his.
For certain he’ll want to get back down to work with his top men as soon as possible with the World Cup drawing to its climax.
Only around 5,000 fans turned up in the giant green – seated hulk of the Estadio Benito Villamarin stadium – capacity 60,000.
Among that smattering of supporters high in the corner of one stand were around 200 United fans.
Donny Van de Beek was replaced in the Manchester United starting XI moments ahead of their friendly against Real Betis.
United are facing off against the La Liga side in their second World Cup friendly as they gear up the return of Premier League football.
However, after initially naming the Dutchman in their starting XI, he was replaced minutes before kick-off by youngster Isak Hansen-Aaroen.
Van de Beek has struggled for form since joining United from Ajax, but after returning from injury earlier this season managed a string of starts before the World Cup got underway.
The 25-year-old was in action during the club's first friendly in Spain as United lost 4-2 to Cadiz.
But United fans were not impressed with the line up selected by Erik ten Hag ahead of the Betis clash despite naming a team with a number of senior stars included.
Man Utd's trip to Spain has gone from bad to worse after Teden Mengi was stretchered off against Real Betis.
The 20-year-old went down with a hamstring injury in the first half of the friendly.
And the youngster was forced to leave the pitch on a stretcher moments later.
Mengi only recently returned from an injury which has kept him out for the entire campaign.
And now he's suffered another setback just when he was hoping to prove his fitness ahead of earning himself a January loan move.
Mengi spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham City, but injuries restricted him to just 10 appearances.
Man Utd fans have been left devastated after Diogo Dalot went off injured during Portugal's clash against Morocco.
Dalot, 23, started both knockout games for Portugal but was replaced near the end of the World Cup quarter-final.
And Man Utd fans were devastated at the news that their right-back could face some time on the sidelines.
Taking to Twitter, one fan said: "Dalot injured…our season is done."
A second fan said: "Dalot injured? Thanks Portugal."
A third reacted by saying: "Dalot injured. I hate it here."
A fourth said: "NOOOOOOO Dalot injured."
Man Utd fans are already fearing the worst after their team was announced for their friendly against Real Betis.
The Red Devils are in action in the second part of their Spanish training camp.
Ten Hag named a strong side for their last friendly against Cadiz, but they were still beaten 4-2.
And despite picking another team that includes the likes of David de Gea, Donny van de Beek, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Martial, the Old Trafford faithful are preparing for another tough night.
United fans will also get another glimpse of talented youngster Alejandro Garnacho, who starts again.
One pessimistic fan said: "Why do I feel like we’d lose this game again?"
A second replied: "Deep down I feel we are gonna get embarassed again."
Man Utd now know what they have to do sign Goncalo Ramos.
The Portuguese superstar, who burst on the scene with a hat-trick in the World Cup, was tracked by the Red Devils in the summer.
According to Sport Witness, his club Benfica have no plans of selling their star asset in January.
It would take a huge offer to twist their arm – and his £120million release clause will have to be met.
Ten Hag was more than happy for Ronnie to move on, despite his mammoth £480k-a-week wages.
As a result, United told Ronaldo they would cover the majority of his salary for the remainder of the season.
And any new club needed to pay just £80k each week for Ronnie’s services.
Numerous clubs were contact by his representatives, including super-agent Jorge Mendes.
But there was ZERO takers for Ronaldo, mainly due to concerns over his suitability.
A string of clubs reportedly rejected the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.
That’s despite the misfit offering himself out for just £80,000-a-week – £400k less than what he was earning at Manchester United.
Ronaldo, 37, finds himself without a club after having his Red Devils contract terminated last month.
The Portuguese veteran – left on the bench again for today's World Cup quarter-final against Morocco – became a pariah by blasting United and boss Erik ten Hag in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
But the Athletic claims Ronaldo was already desperate to leave Old Trafford months earlier.
It’s claimed he made a big push to quit United after their shock 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has commented on Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo being a free agent.
Khelaifi appeared to rule out making a move for Ronaldo, who seems to be on his way to joining Al-Nassr.
The PSG chief doesn’t seem keen as he already has Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the team.
He said: “Cristiano Ronaldo at PSG?
“With the three players we have [Messi, Neymar, Mbappe], it’s very difficult, but I wish him the best. He is fantastic and he is still an extraordinary player”
Another game for Cristiano Ronaldo, another appearance on the substitutes' bench.
Portugal boss Fernando Santos was not happy with his star man's reaction when he was substituted against South Korea during the group stages and dropped him for the team's last 16 game as a result.
Ronaldo's deputy, Goncalo Ramos, took his opportunity with both hands and now Portugal's six-time Ballon d'Or winner is on the outside looking in.
Cristiano Ronaldo's pal Piers Morgan has slammed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag over claims the 819 career-goal forward wasn't in good shape.
Man Utd ripped up Ronaldo's contract after his bombshell interview with SunSport columnist and TalkTV main man Morgan.
But the Dutch Ten Hag hinted Ronaldo's lack of fitness may have contributed to his exile.
He said: "When he is in good shape, he is a good player and he could help us to get back and achieve the objectives we have.
“That is quite clear. But he wasn’t.”
Pal Morgan has hit back at Ten Hag, labelling the United manager a "clown".
Morgan fumed: "Hard to imagine why Ronaldo felt disrespected by this clown, isn’t it.."
Manager Santos is set to once again have ex-Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo sat on the bench after Ramos’ heroics against Switzerland.
Here’s how they lined up against the Swiss in the last-16.
England must first beat France in the quarter-finals this evening in order to match their achievement of reaching the last four in Russia 2018.
And Gareth Southgate insists his team are much better equipped to beat football’s superpowers than they were four years ago.
The Three Lions boss said: “The biggest thing for me in the game is going to be our mentality.
“We’ll of course be tactically prepared. But on these nights you’ve got to have men that stand up and take on the challenge.
“That’s the bit we’ve got to prove to people. We’ve had some outstanding nights and the next game is always the most important.
“It’s against a good level of opponent, one we’re ready for.
“One, if you’d asked me four years ago were we quite ready, I’m not sure. Now I feel differently about that, and that’s because we’ve got evidence over a long period of results.
“Now we’ve got go and nail this type of game.”
Argentina captain Lionel Messi tore into ex-Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal for his long ball approach to Holland's World Cup quarter-final.
The South American champions avoided a late scare, beating the Dutch on penalties after seeing their two-goal lead evaporate late on in normal time.
Beanstalk Wout Weghorst bagged the brace that saved the Dutch and sent the game to a nervy penalty shootout.
But Van Gaal‘s tactical switch to chucking on tall players and hitting long balls left Messi unimpressed – as it was Dutch fans and press prior to kick-off.
Van Gaal had previously bit back at journalists in pre-match press conferences when his approach to games were criticised and claimed Holland play good football.
England are set for their toughest test in the World Cup as they take on France in the quarter-finals at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Chelsea star Raheem Sterling returned to Qatar after flying home to the UK but doesn’t seem likely to take part in the match.
Arsenal ace Ben White left the squad for “personal reasons” with rumours suggesting he fell out with manager Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland.
Newcastle’s Callum Wilson is nursing a minor strain, while West Ham’s Declan Rice missed training on Wednesday due to an illness that is unlikely to prevent him from competing.
United's Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are all fit.
France boss Didier Deschamps, on the other hand, is set to have star man Kylian Mbappe available following an injury scare that led him to miss training.
Gareth Southgate is ready to break out his dance moves if England win the World Cup.
And the Three Lions boss believes that this time, more than any other time, his team have what it takes to pull off a statement victory against reigning champions France tonight.
Southgate initially claimed it was “unlikely” he would follow Brazil manager Tite and Dutch counterpart – and former Man Utd boss – Louis van Gaal by showing off some dad dancing in Qatar.
But what if England lift the trophy on December 18? Southgate said: “Oh, that might be different. I am quite happy to embarrass myself like anybody else at that point. But certainly not beforehand.”
Manchester United ace Antony has taken to Instagram after Brazil’s shock exit from the World Cup.
The South American side lost the quarter-final on penalties to 2018 finalists Croatia.
Antony wrote: “Not how I wanted to begin this message… but first of all, I need to say how proud I am for each of you who has lived this dream with me!!
“It’s been years, months, weeks, days and more days thinking about bringing this title back home, the country of football! And we tried everything ….
“Every drop of sweat poured, every bug, every vibration, every dribble and goal… We made it!
“Today, there is the sadness of an elimination, of an interrupted dream…
“However, I am sure that we will come back even stronger, more united and with the same desire to give joy to all who cheer for us!!
“Antony who leaves Qatar today is the same one who painted the streets of Osasco dreaming of a World Cup title.
“Not now, but we’ll be back! Hexa is still our goal We will cry today, we have that right, we are human beings, but tomorrow we will start to rebuild our history! “
Lionel Messi yelled at “stupid” Dutch rival Wout Weghorst in a post-match interview after tense scenes in the World Cup quarter-final.
Argentina beat Holland 4-3 on penalties after the two sides played out a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes of football.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, standing at 5ft7, told the Dutch giant: “Who are you looking at? Go ahead you stupid.”
Ex-Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal was also seen in a heated discussion with Messi.
Erik ten Hag had to watch TV to see for himself how he had been stabbed in the back by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Manchester United boss admits that Ronaldo, who said he had “no respect” for the Dutchman, showed him no decency, saying: “Yes, it is so. In the summer we had one talk.
“He came in and said: ‘I will tell you in seven days if I want to stay’.
“Then he came back and said ‘I want to stay’. Until that moment (the interview) I never heard anything.”
Manchester United summer signing Lisandro Martinez is a World Cup semi-finalist.
The centre-back helped Argentina overcome Holland in the quarters.
Argentina took a two-goal lead which collapsed in the final ten minutes and lengthy added-time.
Extra-time didn't produce much, but Argentina won the contest on penalties.
Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho is being lined up for a move to Real Madrid.
United are keen to tie Garnacho down to new fresh terms, and it is suggested they could increase his £5,000-per-week wages tenfold.
However, this could be made harder to achieve with Real believed to be keen on signing the 18-year-old, according to Relevo.
The same report claims Los Blancos are monitoring the winger's situation at Old Trafford and they consider him "one of the great stars of the future."
The outlet adds that "Madrid and Garnacho like each other", but there are other clubs interested in signing him as well.
Meanwhile, United are looking to speed up the process of offering Diogo Dalot a new deal.
Dalot has been in excellent form this term which has seen him nail down a spot as the United's starting right-back under manager Erik ten Hag.
However, the 23-year-old is out of contract next summer and the Red Devils are under pressure to get a deal over the line quickly before other interested parties submit pre-contract offers to swipe him away.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Manchester giants have been impressed with the full-back’s form – which even saw him usurp Joao Cancelo in the Portugal starting line-up in the World Cup.
Romano reports a meeting is expected to take place between Dalot and the club's chiefs after the World Cup.
And Cristiano Ronaldo is causing more unrest in the Portugal squad with his team-mates confused over why his personal manager is at their World Cup camp.
Ronaldo has found himself in the spotlight in Qatar, firstly for his bombshell interview which saw him sacked by Manchester United.
And now the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is said to have been causing issues in his national side.
The forward scored his side's first goal of the tournament, but was dropped for their Last-16 victory over Switzerland after sulking following his substitution against South Korea.
According to Record, the Portugal captain threatened to leave the World Cup after learning that he was benched by manager Fernando Santos.
But Portugal have since denied those claims.
Finally, Otavio claims Ronaldo made sure to "cheer up the team" after he was dropped against Switzerland.
The Porto ace has revealed that the Real great did not kick up a fuss about being benched and instead made sure the rest of the squad was okay.
The forward told COPEMundial: "Do you know the first thing Ronaldo did when he found out he wouldn't start? He went to talk to Goncalo [Ramos] and the rest of the team to cheer them up. He is our leader."
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