Manchester United kicked-off the new season with silverware at Wembley, where a late goal from summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic won them The FA Community Shield supported by McDonald’s.
A towering late header from the Swedish superstar proved enough for The Emirates FA Cup winners to seal a 2-1 win over Premier League champions Leicester City, after Jesse Lingard had earlier set Wembley alight with a stunning opening goal.
But the Foxes made a game of it and Jamie Vardy picked up where he left off last term to draw them level with a sharp finish just after the break.
While United ultimately did enough to win the game, with Jose Mourinho’s men just about showing enough in attack to outshine Leicester, there were moments when the Foxes showed just why they were so successful last term.
It was Kasper Schmeichel who was forced into the first save of the game in the 12th minute, when Luke Shaw’s cross from the left picked out Wayne Rooney.
The United skipper planted a firm header at goal, but left the Foxes keeper with a simple save from 10 yards.
Marouane Fellaini followed that up shortly after by testing Schmeichel, hooking a shot at goal after Ibrahimovic had set the tone by winning a high ball over Wes Morgan to set him up.
At the other end, a direct run forward from Vardy created a shooting chance for Shinji Okajazi, whose left-footer was deflected inches wide by a smart block from Daley Blind.
And from Marc Albrighton’s resulting corner, Okazaki came even closer by flicking a header over David de Gea only to see it bounce back off the bar and out to safety.
But United took the lead in the 30th minute when Lingard collected the ball just inside the Leicester half, before embarking on a direct run at goal and leaving three Leicester defenders in his wake before sliding a shot past Schmeichel and into the bottom corner.
Leicester responded with a double change at the break, introducing summer signing Ahmed Musa and Demarai Gray to replace Okazaki and Albrighton and no doubt hoping their pace could trouble United’s defence.
And it had the desired effect, albeit with a helping hand from Fellaini, as Musa’s run and pass was intercepted by the United midfielder only to see his underhit back-pass latched onto by Vardy.
The England striker was onto it in a flash, neatly taking the ball around De Gea and slotting home from a tight angle to bring the champions back level.
But despite that setback and then seeing Lingard limp off injured shortly after, it was United who won it when Antonio Valencia stood up a cross from the right for Ibrahimovic to leap above Morgan and direct his header past Schmeichel and in off the post.
Leicester knew a goal back would take the game to penalties, and threw everything at United in the dying moments but once Gray had turned a shot wide in stoppage time, that was their last chance gone with United seeing out the match and ensure a winning start to the new season.
Leicester City: 1 Kasper Schmeichel; 17 Danny Simpson, 5 Wes Morgan, 6 Robert Huth, 28 Christian Fuchs; 11 Marc Albrighton, 4 Danny Drinkwater, 10 Andy King, 26 Riyad Mahrez; 9 Jamie Vardy, 20 Shinji Okazaki
Substitutes: 7 Ahmed Musa for Okazaki 46, 22 Demarai Gray for Albrighton 46, 24 Nampalys Mendy for King 62, 2 Luis Hernandez for Simpson 63, 15 Jeffrey Schlupp for Fuchs 80, 23 Leonardo Ulloa for Huth 89
Substitute not used: 21 Ron-Robert Zieler
Goals: Vardy 52
Yellow cards: Simpson 55, King 55, Vardy 75
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Manchester United: 1 David de Gea; 25 Antonio Valencia, 3 Eric Bailly, 17 Daley Blind, 23 Luke Shaw; 14 Jesse Lingard, 27 Marouane Fellaini, 16 Michael Carrick; 11 Anthony Martial, 10 Wayne Rooney, 9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Substitutes: 21 Ander Herrera for Carrick 61, 8 Juan Mata for Lingard 63, 5 Marcos Rojo for Shaw 69, 19 Marcus Rashford for Martial 70, 28 Morgan Schneiderlin for Rooney 88, 22 Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Mata 90
Substitutes not used: 20 Sergio Romero
Goals: Lingard 31, Ibrahimovic 83
Yellow cards: Bailly 71
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Referee: Craig Pawson
