Under-21s welcome Sporting to Leigh
Monday 19 January 2026 12:05
Manchester United are welcoming Sporting to the Progress With Unity Stadium, in Leigh, on Tuesday night.
The Premier League International Cup tie pits the Lisbon youngsters against our Academy side, kicking off at 19:00 GMT.
Of course, the clubs have previous links in the past, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani signed for the Reds, after breaking through Sporting’s excellent youth system.Â
It promises to be another tough test against continental opposition, but United are currently in third spot in Group D, after three outings in the competition – a 2-1 win over Athletic Club, 4-1 loss to Anderlecht and 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund.
The top two teams qualify for the knockout stages and all the games are staged in England.
Nottingham Forest are the current holders.
Our Under-21s’ previous fixture was a 2-2 draw, away to Fulham, in Premier League 2.
Shea Lacey scored both goals as the youngsters remain top of the table, with the Cottagers in second place.
There is another high-profile Academy fixture later in the week, when the Under-18s host Derby County in the FA Youth Cup, at Old Trafford, on Friday night.
Both games are being shown live on MUTV.
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Monday 19 January 2026 12:05
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