Full report:
United tasted defeat in their first domestic action of pre-season, losing out in a five-goal thriller to Inter Milan at Old Trafford.
A massive crowd of 73,738 - a record friendly attendance at Old Trafford - were treated to a highly entertaining 90 minutes between the champions of England and Italy.
Roberto Mancini's Inter won thanks to a brace from David Suazo and a neat finish from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Wayne Rooney and an Adriano own goal were United's efforts.
The Italian champions appeared sharper in the first half, but United were clearly on top after the interval and were unfortunate not to at least take the game to a penalty shootout.
Injuries prevented Sir Alex Ferguson from fielding any of his three summer signings, with Anderson, Nani and Owen Hargreaves watching from the stands.
Within three minutes Ronaldo had given them and the rest of the packed crowd a sample of his skills, tormenting Maxwell with his beguiling array of tricks before dragging a shot wide of Cesar's right-hand post.
Three minutes later the Portuguese winger was again at the centre of United's attacking menace, sending a teasing cross towards Eagles at the back post. New Inter signing Christian Chivu, last seen at Old Trafford in Roma's 7-1 mauling last April, just about managed to clear under pressure.
Scares for United were few and far between in the game's opening exchanges, thanks largely to the profligacy of Ibrahimovic, who first completely missed a free header from Figo's corner before cheaply surrendering possession when Inter had three attackers against two United defenders.
Santiago Solari then powered a long-range effort straight into van der Sar's midriff, but it was United who took the lead through Rooney.
Giggs cleverly dummied Patrice Evra's low cross and, although Eagles and Chivu were both foxed, Rooney was able to control the ball and lash a low shot past Cesar and into the net, despite Walter Samuel's despairing lunge.
Parity was soon restored, however, thanks to some questionable defending from United. Luis Figo's inswinging cross wasn't cleared, despite the efforts of Evra and Vidic, and Suazo turned the ball in from close range.
A friendly it may have been, but there was a touch of controversy about Inter's second. Patrice Evra appeared to be fouled by Stankovic but play was allowed to continue, and Ibrahimovic emphatically swept home the Serbian's pull-back.
Two became three after 34 minutes as Ibrahimovic and Figo combined well again to feed Suazo, who clipped the ball neatly inside van der Sar's post.
United looked to hit back straight away, but O'Shea's long-range effort was comfortably wide of the mark.
They came far closer three minutes before the break, as Ronaldo and Carrick swapped quickfire passes to tee up Rooney, whose curling 25-yard effort narrowly missed the top corner.
Inter took advantage of their two-goal lead by introducing Adriano and Cesar at half-time, with Ibrahimovic and Materazzi making way.
The burly Brazilian striker was quickly on the scoresheet but, sadly for Roberto Mancini's side, his effort was a spectacular own goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo fizzed a left-wing free kick into the Inter area and, although none of United's attackers were on hand to convert, Adriano planted a powerful header into his own bottom corner.
The comedic value of the moment, coupled with the sense that United had a route back into the match, stirred the crowd into a buzzing fervour.
The efforts of Rooney were also instrumental in conducting the support as time and again he embarked on surging runs, only to be eventually outnumbered by the Italian defenders.
Ronaldo very nearly drew United level just after the hour mark, but Cesar did brilliantly to turn his stinging left-footed effort around the post.
Inter managed to weather the United storm for the final third of the game, but only after surviving a scare as Rio Ferdinand, unmarked from Rooney's pull-back, fired over the bar from close-range.
The Italians inflicted a rare home defeat on Sir Alex's side but, with the new season edging ever-closer, such a stern test and strenuous workout will be much appreciated by all at Old Trafford.
United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Eagles, Carrick, O'Shea; Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs.
Substitutes: Martin, Fletcher, Bardsley, Silvestre, Kuszczak.
Internazionale Milan: J Cesar (Toldo, 76); Maxwell (Fatic, 90), Materazzi (Cesar, 46), Samuel, Chivu; Dacourt (Filicor, 76), Solari (Defenclous), Figo (Jiminez), Stankovic; Ibrahimovic (Adriano, 46), Suazo (Cruz, 60).
Substitutes: Fatic, Balotelli, Bolzoni.
Attendance: 73,738
Source: Soccenet.com
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