THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Michael Owen scored for the second time in two matches to help give Manchester United a 2-0 win Monday over a Malaysian XI on its Asian pre-season tour.
The Premier League champions narrowly edged the Malaysian team 3-2 Saturday, but delivered a more commanding performance in the rematch in front of 30,000 fans in Kuala Lumpur.
With Owen and Ryan Giggs in the starting lineup and Wayne Rooney on the bench, there seemed to be more urgency to United’s game as they kept using the flanks to blow past the Malaysian defence.
United took an early lead in the 10th minute when winger Darren Fletcher played the ball back to the waiting Federico Macheda, who easily slotted into the net.
Just two minutes later, Owen capitalized on a hesitant Malaysian defence for his second goal of the tour.
Owen came close to scoring again in the 60th, but his effort came off the post.
United seemed content to protect its lead, and Malaysia failed to convert its chances in the second half.
Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov came on to increase United’s pace in attack, and the England striker almost scored from a cross in the 68th. Five minutes later, Berbatov’s header went straight to Malaysian goalkeeper Mohd Farizal Marlias.
The Red Devils decided to play against Malaysia again after cancelling a planned match in Indonesia in the wake of Friday’s bomb attack on the Jakarta hotel where they were due to stay. They will depart Wednesday for the next leg of their Asia tour in Seoul and then on to China.