Almost five months after the Cup final won by City against United, the two Manchester clubs meet at Old Trafford for an emotional derby. Follow the meeting, from 4:30 p.m., live and with commentary on linternaute.com.
The framework has changed, as has the stakes, but the two clubs will spare no effort to get the better of the other. Even without the possibility of lifting the Cup at the end, which City managed to do last June at Wembley, a Manchester derby carries much more and this time, it will be charged with a special emotion. Everywhere in Old Trafford will be the memory of Sir Bobby Charlton. Died last weekend, the legend of the Red Devils, winner of the Champions League in 1968, and of England, world champion in 1966, will be honored. A minute of applause and a huge tifo is planned for the occasion at the Théâtre des Rêves which for an afternoon will be one of memories.
Maguire: ‘We can’t wait’
It’s up to the locals not to let themselves be overwhelmed and to use the emotional power of this moment to find extra soul. However, Erik Ten Hag’s men don’t need that to motivate themselves. The simple fact of playing a derby against the defending champion rival is enough. “We’re coming off three wins and we’re looking forward to it.”, motivates Harry Maguire. Indeed, the Red Devils extended their winning streak in the middle of the week by beating Copenhagen (1-0) with difficulty, thanks to a save at the end of added time from Onana from the penalty spot. Enough to give plenty of confidence, especially since they had not preserved their cage for almost a month and five consecutive meetings.
Good news as the arrival of City, led by the insatiable Haaland, looms. “We know it will be a tough test, but we are not focused on Manchester City. We are more focused on ourselves and living up to our abilities. If we do that, we will give ourselves every chance”believes the English defender who knows how important his performance and that of the entire Red Devils rearguard will be in stopping the Norwegian and his partners.
However, this is not a surprise as the two teams know each other by heart. In addition to their quality and confidence, the men in red will be able to feed off the shock of last season. “We experienced it last season, and the home game was extraordinary”, recalls Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese scored the equalizer last season ten minutes from the end of the match before Rashford turned the situation around three minutes later in a stunning finish. Flamboyant during the previous year, the England international is further behind this season with only one goal in the Premier League.
City diminished
The Citizens have not forgotten anything and even if they were able to “revenge” in the Cup final, this scar remains in the neighbor’s den. “It’s not like the FA Cup final, nor is it a decisive game in the Premier League title race. But we’ve only played nine games and there are 87 points at stake. So we have to be focused (…) United have always been a difficult opponent.”warned Pep Guardiola to the press.
It must be said that City are not going through their best period in the Premier League. Although they beat Brighton on the previous matchday, they fell in the previous two, leaving the championship lead to Tottenham. Winners at Crystal Palace on Friday, Spurs even took a 5-point lead, while Arsenal crushed Sheffield United the next day. Enough to put pressure on the Citizens for whom a false step would be unwelcome. If Haaland will be there to lead the attack, he will have to show himself more than last season when he suffered. The Norwegian will be all the more decisive as Kevin De Bruyne will not be on the pitch, still injured. A detrimental absence for the offensive animation of the Sky Blues as the Belgian is his barometer and the one who finds solutions against opposing blocks through his vision of the game and his quality of passing.
Likewise in defense, Guardiola will have to adjust his team since Akanji, whose contribution he praised again midweek on the sidelines of the victory against Young Boyz Bern, is suspended. “I want to see us show our true mentality on Sunday at Old Trafford. It’s not about what happens if we win. I want us to have the right mentality and do everything to take the three points “insisted the Spanish technician.
Three very coveted points in this context. “You can really feel the excitement throughout the city as derby week approaches. Like I said, it’s about whether Manchester is red or Manchester is blue. Hopefully on Sunday , it will be red”, concludes Harry Maguire poetically. The northern English city shudders at the thought of knowledge, with a thought for its vanished legend.
The kick-off of the match of the 10th Premier League matchday between Manchester United and Manchester City will take place at around 4:30 p.m. at Old Trafford.
The Manchester derby between United and City will be broadcast exclusively by the Canal+ group and accessible on the Canal+Sport 360 channel.
The meeting between Manchester United led by Erik Ten Hag and Manchester City led by Pep Guardiola will be available for streaming on the MyCanal platform.
BetClic: Manchester United: 4.83 / Draw: 3.92 / Manchester City: 1.62
Sports bets: Manchester United: 4.60 / Draw: 4.20 / Manchester City: 1.60
Winamax: Manchester United: 5.00 / Draw: 4.00 / Manchester City: 1.64
Manchester United: Onana – Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Reguilon – Amrabat, Bruno Fernandes, McTominay – Antony, Hojlund, Rashford.
Manchester City: Ederson – Walker, Gvardiol, Dias, Aké – Rodri, Kovacic – Foden, Bernardo Silva, Grealish – Haaland