Manchester United vs Barcelona: Lessons Learned from International Champions Cup

Manchester United claimed a 3-1 victory from a tight match against Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

Sweltering conditions in Santa Clara, California, produced a hard-fought spectacle, with goals from Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard in each half deciding the result. Rafinha netted at the death with a wonderful volley, but Adnan Januzaj restored the two-goal gap with a composed finish of his own a minute later.

"We had a game plan, and I think it worked really well. We coped with their pressing game, and we didn't back down," Luke Shaw told reporters after the game, per Manchester United's official Twitter account.

Barcelona hit the post three times and saw a goal chalked off for offside as Luis Suarez and Co. threatened throughout, but United squeezed by. Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at some lessons learned from the tournament match!

Matteo Darmian Is the Starter, Surely?

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

"We have bought [Matteo] Darmian for the second position behind [Antonio] Valencia," Louis van Gaal told the Daily Mail five days ago. That's either a lie or a massive mistake.

Darmian is solid right-back who is a natural fit at the position; he can defend, attack and cross and has enough speed to recover. Throughout the International Champions Cup, he's looked like everything the Red Devils have been yearning for from their right-back for years, so why would Valencia start ahead of him?

Another impressive showing against Barcelona simply has to give Van Gaal food for thought. Darmian has now shown in Serie A, at the World Cup and in United red that he's more than capable of answering the bell.

Luis Suarez Is Deadlier Than Ever

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Luis Suarez's first 45 minutes were goalless, but if look past the statistics sheet, you'll see another brilliant performance from a player who continues to move from strength to strength.

As B/R's Karl Matchett noted on Twitter, the striker is now more ingrained into the Barcelona system than ever before, and he's going to be "more dangerous and more prolific" than in 2014-15.

He struck the post twice, leaving David de Gea stupefied and motionless both times. The first was a wicked free-kick that rebounded off the base of the post, and the second was a curling left-footed shot that smacked and bounced wide. He also had a goal chalked off for offside in the second period.

Manchester United Need That World-Class Centre-Back

VI-Images/Getty Images

Was playing Daley Blind at centre-back in a back four a deliberate ploy by Louis van Gaal? It's akin to paying a plane to fly over Ed Woodward's house with the message "please give me money so I can buy Sergio Ramos" trailing behind it.

Barca's central and right-sided players gave Blind, and to an extent Luke Shaw over at left-back, a tough time. Luis Suarez's runs were tough to stop, and Sergi Roberto surged clear for a one-on-one with David de Gea inside six minutes, carving straight through the space Blind should have been minding.

Marcos Rojo has been absent from this tour because of Copa America 2015 commitments and delayed recoveries, but even with him returning, United must continue to vie for that world-class centre-back—be it Ramos or Nicolas Otamendi.

Rafinha Is Ready

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Rafinha enjoyed a silky outing for Barcelona on Saturday, showing exceptional skill on the ball and a willingness to take on players. We've come to expect nothing else from a man who is poised to assume a more integral role with the club this season.

Xavi leaves an emotional hole that no one can fill, but in terms of numbers and potential, Barca should be OK without him on the pitch. Rafinha is no Xavi—in fact, he's far closer to Andres Iniesta as a player—but he can enter the midfield rotation on a more full-time basis and appears to melding with the team nicely.

A transfer ban has stopped Barca from seizing a Paul Pogba-type player on the market, but at least they have youth they can rely on for the time being. Rafinha's volleyed finish at the death to make it 3-1 was a remarkable strike.

Changing Your Entire XI Mid-Game? Yeah, That's Confusing!

Stephen Lam/Getty Images

In the 62nd minute, Louis van Gaal sent on an entirely new XI. Manchester United have typically been playing with two different lineups per half, but to actually see the wholesale change happen pitchside was quite bizarre.

As it turns out, it wasn't just the viewers who were confused (and mildly shocked) to see this happen. It stunned Barcelona too, and inside three minutes of the strange incident, Tyler Blackett had hit the byline from left-back and sent a cross in for Jesse Lingard to slam home. 2-0.

That's Blackett and Lingard combining to score against Barcelona. Pre-season or not, that just doesn't quite sound right. Fair play to LVG for the mass-confusion tactics—they worked!

Follow @stighefootball