Benjamin Šeško saw one of Rúben Amorim’s stars put in a brilliant display as the new striker signing watched Manchester United defeat Fiorentina at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United wrapped up their 2025 pre-season by lifting the Snapdragon Cup, edging Fiorentina in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Benjamin Šeško was unveiled to the home supporters before kick-off, but the visitors struck first when Simon Sohm found space in the box to score inside ten minutes.
United responded well, and midway through the first half, Bruno Fernandes’ superb corner delivery forced Robin Gosens to put the ball into his own net. Bryan Mbeumo then provided more dangerous service, creating chances for Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, but the score stayed level at the interval.
United grew stronger as the second half went on, and Amorim’s late substitutions brought fresh attacking energy. Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount, and Amad each had opportunities to win it, but neither side could break the deadlock.
In the shootout, the first eight penalties were converted before Altay Bayındır saved from Fabiano Parisi, leaving Kobbie Mainoo to slot home the decisive kick and clinch the trophy for United.
Mbeumo building his sharpness vs Fiorentina
Mbeumo made his unofficial United debut last weekend during the 2-2 draw with Everton in Atlanta, and played 45 minutes. Although his touch and decision-making looked good, his fitness was lacking compared to his peers.
However, with the side now back at Carrington and working on the final details ahead of the season opener against Arsenal next Sunday, the Cameroon international looked so much sharper at Old Trafford.
Mbeumo was quick, intelligent, and put on a “brilliant” display for 74 minutes before being replaced to preserve his fitness, with his delivery into the box a highlight.
Last season in the Premier League, the 26-year-old delivered a league-high 202 crosses for Brentford. Having created four chances against Fiorentina, more than anyone else on the field, the quality of his final ball was clear to see.
Šeško and Mbeumo could become unstoppable
With Šeško through the door and set to undergo a whole week of training with his teammates next week, the 22-year-old will be delighted to have witnessed a preview of the service he has in store.
At Leipzig, Šeško was often used as a runner and asked to provide link-up play. Still, Amorim has already mentioned that he wants the Slovenian to work less on the pitch and instead focus on scoring goals – something United have sorely missed.
Read More: Rúben Amorim confident that £127m Manchester United duo will become ‘so much better’ this season
While it’s expected that Šeško will take some time to gel with his new squad, Mbeumo’s incredible partnership with Yoane Wissa at Brentford last season provides a fantastic platform for United’s new attacking duo to create a similar attacking threat.
While Šeško, standing at 6ft 5in and with a fantastic leap on him, will feed off Mbeumo’s deliveries, the striker is also known to be proficient at flick-ons, which will benefit Mbeumo when running through on goal.
If Amorim can get the pair to click on the pitch, they could become unstoppable.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.