Manchster United v Leeds: More history made in summer to remember at Croke Park

Less than a month after Mayo's historic win in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park, a stadium that is famous for sliotars and the Sam Maguire played host to one of the oldest rivalries in English football on Wednesday night.

With a new Premier League season approaching, the friendly gave fans of both Manchester United and Leeds United an opportunity to see their teams in action, plus witness the spectacle of a solar eclipse.

The match marked another big night for Croke Park in what has been a summer to remember.

Manchester United ran out 5-4 winners in a penalty shootout after the teams played out a 1-1 draw in front of the raucous 82,300-capacity crowd in Dublin.

Both sets of clubs have plenty of Irish connections so their fourth friendly in eight years being in Ireland was fitting.

The likes of Belfast's George Best helped pave the way for a new generation of Manchester United fans, while former right back Gary Kelly's shirts were prominent amongst the Leeds support.

The sunny Dublin streets were filled with anticipation and plenty of excitement as kick-off approached with lots of 'if we sign one more striker then this will be a good season' talk filling the walkway to Croke.

This match was highly anticipated and was the third time that Association football has been played after the Gaelic Athletic Association's Rule 42 which prevented 'foreign' sports being played in the stadium was amended.

The game also ended a nine-year wait for a football match at Croke Park and was the first time that two English soccer teams had played there, but after the success of this night, it may not be the last.

Once the match got under way, it was the Manchester United fans who had more to cheer about in the opening encounters after Joshua Zirkzee's first-time strike gave them the lead after just 16 minutes.

Known for its electric atmosphere, the sold-out Croke crowd did not disappoint, and Leeds levelled the match against the run of play thanks to the unmarked Brenden Aaronson.

However, the Dublin fans were not treated to a classic with chances at a premium in the second half.

The lack of goalscoring opportunities did not dampen their spirits though, with Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Youri Tielemans' introductions being met with enthusiastic cheers.

It was also a memorable night for substitute stopper Dermot Mee, who has played for Northern Ireland at underage level and played a key part in the victory after being introduced as a second-half substitute.

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