Pre-Season Friendly: Aberdeen 0 Man. United 2

United made a winning start to the new pre-season campaign, as goals from Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney sealed a hard-fought victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

The hosts, celebrating the 25th anniversary of winning the European Cup Winners' Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson, piled plenty of pressure on the Champions League holders, and were unfortunate to see a first-half goal from Darren Mackie ruled out for offside.

United's class told in the latter stages of the first half and much of the first, however, and Carrick moved the visitors ahead by converting a penalty before Rooney powerfully headed home after the interval.

Rooney could have buried the hosts single-handedly inside 10 minutes, as he twice shot straight at goalkeeper Jamie Langfield and also had a powerful far-post volley blocked by a defender.

Although Aberdeen struggled to contain Rooney and the vibrant Ryan Giggs, they still probed menacingly during the opening exchanges, and Jeffrey De Visscher came close to opening the scoring before Mackie slid a finish past Ben Amos, only to see his effort chalked off by a linesman's flag.

The sell-out crowd had to wait until just before half-time to see the first goal, when Rooney was brought down inside the area by Langfield after a superb through-ball from Carrick. Rooney opted to let his England cohort take the spot-kick and, just as he did in Moscow, Carrick sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to put United ahead.

Immediately after the interval United's lead could have been doubled, but substitute Chris Eagles sidefooted Darren Fletcher's teasing cross over the bar from close range. The hosts, for their part, could have drawn level shortly afterwards, but Amos made a superb fingertip save from Jamie Smith's inswinging effort.

Rooney and Giggs continued to terrorise the Dons' defence, however, and the latter almost headed home the former's cross, only for substitute stopper Bertrand Bossu to brilliantly tip the ball onto the crossbar.

Twenty minutes from time, Rooney went one better by powerfully heading United's second goal. Darren Fletcher took Carrick's pass in his stride and curled in a teasing right-wing cross, which Rooney glanced emphatically into the far corner.

Danny Simpson had a long-range shot well held by Bossu and Eagles saw his chip deflected just past the post as United finished in the ascendancy, and held firm to post an impressive start to the new season preparations.

United: Amos (Woods, 73); Neville (Simpson, 46), Brown (J Evans, 61), Vidic (O'Shea, 46), Silvestre; Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes (Gibson, 61), Martin (Eagles, 46); Rooney (Hewson, 73), Giggs (Campbell, 61).