Gianluca Vialli left Arnhem's futuristic stadium with plenty to think about last night, after his vaunted defence was breached four times by Atletico Madrid and his captain Dennis Wise was sent off. Wise was involved in a flare-up with Carlos Aguilera nine minutes from time which resulted in players from both sides surrounding the Chelsea captain, who had appeared to tread on Aguilera.
The bad-tempers were in vain at that stage as Madrid's Juninho had killed off the match before half time.
Four minutes from the break, a Michael Duberry error allowed Juninho to run through, slip past Dmitri Kharine and knock the ball in. The Brazilian accepted another simple chance less than two minutes later, after Serena opened up the defence before laying on a tap-in.
Atletico were gifted a third goal 17 minutes from time when Kharine allowed a 25-yard free-kick from Oscar Mena to squirm under his body. Atletico wrapped it up in injury time when Vladimir Jugovic slipped the ball past the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Liverpool scored a notable preseason victory over last season's Serie A runners-up Inter Milan, with goals from Paul Ince and Steve Harkness.
Inter travelled to Anfield minus many of their star names including Ronaldo, Diego Simeone and new signing Roberto Baggio, but still replete with a host of world class players, including Chilean Ivan Zamorano, Giuseppe Bergmomi, Gianluca Pagliuca and Javier Zanetti, but it was the home side that controlled proceedings and ran out deserved winners.
Ince scored a sensational goal against his former employers in the 31st minute, unleashing a scorching drive from 25 yards that Pagliuca could only beat back to him. The midfielder blasted home the rebound from 15 yards.
Inter were back on level terms by the 73rd minute though, Zamorano holding up the ball in the box and then laying a simple pass back to substitute Zanetti who chipped into the top corner.
However, two minutes later Liverpool were ahead again when McManaman's pass set up Harkness on the edge of the box and he fired a searing drive past substitute goalkeeper Andrea Mazzantini.
Manchester United put four goals past Brann Bergen in Norway but Alex Ferguson's striking dilemmas were again highlighted as the scores came from an own-goal, two penalties and only belatedly an Andy Cole strike.
United scored twice in the final minute of the first half to kill off the game first, when Irwin tried to curl a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top left corner, but the ball came off the defensive wall and flew into the opposite side of the goal and then seconds after the restart when Solskjaer was sandwiched in the box. Irwin drilled home the resultant penalty.
United's third also came from a spot-kick, Scholes tripped as he tried to round the goalkeeper and Irwin again taking the kick and finally Andy Cole grabbed his side a fourth in the 83rd minute.
Arsenal had better luck with strikers, when Nicolas Anelka grabbed two goals against German third division side Offenbach Kickers as they ran out 4-0 winners. The other goals came from Ray Parlour in the 24th minutes and young midfielder Paolo Vernazza wrapped things up 15 minutes from time.
