Two rivalries were on display on Saturday as the one of the biggest games in the English Premier League and world soccer kicked off at Old Trafford: the rivalry between the two Manchester clubs and the one team managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho had forged during their time at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
The managers and play style might have been new, but the same old intensity that manifests itself every time Manchester City faces Manchester United was showcased this time as well!
Manchester United starting lineup: David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Eric Bertrand Baily, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Marouane Fellaini, Paul Pogba, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Wayne Rooney, Jesse Lingard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Manchester City Starting lineup: Claudio Bravo, Bacary Sagna, John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Aleksandar Kolarov, Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kelechi Iheanacho, Nolito.
It was a debut for Claudio Bravo who was brought in from Barcelona to replace Joe Hart. The derby was pretty much a game of two halves with City dominating the first half and United getting the better of the chances in the second.
United did have a decent move ending up with shot from Pogba that went over the bar in the eighth minute, but from then on, it was all City. Around the 15 minute mark, Kolarov pelted the ball ahead from deep in his half. Iheanacho headed it and before Daley Blind knew what was happening, de Bruyne came in, took the ball just as it was about to reach Blind and finished it calmly in a one-on-one situation against De Gea. 1-0 City!
But they weren’t done yet. Around minute 36, de Bruyne got the ball inside the penalty area where he created space for himself with some quick footwork and shot on goal with his weaker left foot. Had it gone in, it would’ve been a splendid goal. Instead, it hit the post and the ball came back to Iheanacho who was in position for such simple tap in that even his grandmother would’ve scored!
You could say it was partly Blind’s fault, who was playing Iheanacho onside. But take nothing away from de Bruyne’s effort that set up the goal! City nearly had 70 percent of the possession in the first half and you couldn’t have guessed they were playing away from home.
Towards the end of the end of the first half, United pulled one back, thanks to a howler from debutant Claudio Bravo. He failed to latch onto a Rooney free kick with the ball falling to Ibrahimovic. Even though it was an empty net, it was by no means an easy shot and you’d doubt it would be in the back of the net if it were anyone other than him!
Come the second half, Mourinho pulled Lingard, who was having a pretty bad game, and put on Rashford. The change took effect almost immediately! Playing on the left, Rashford cut in quite a few times and set up half decent chances for the likes of Zlatan. He even had a goal disallowed for being offside. But reflecting on what we’ve seen from this youngster till now, it can safely be said he’s destined for bigger things! Ander Herera coming on for Mkhitaryan also played a major role in turning the tides as United took over the midfield in the quest for getting the elusive equalizer.
Though United were dominating the pace in the second half, they left themselves open to counter attacks and de Bruyne hit the post again towards the end of the game when Leroy Sane played him in. In the end, City held off the barrage of United attacks and secured a coveted win at the home of their long time rivals.
The noisy neighbors will painting the City blue, at least for the next few days! Even though Kevin de Bruyne was the clear “Man of the Match”, Fernandinho deserves a notable mention. He put in a very good shift in midfield and nullified the threat of Paul Pogba.
Coming to the small matter of Claudio Bravo. It was probably the worst debut a goalkeeper would hope to have! Not only did his mistake lead to the goal City conceded, he followed it up with a series of comical errors and had it not been for the heroic exploits of Stones and Otamendi, he would’ve looked plain stupid. There was also an appeal for a penalty when he fouled Rooney inside his penalty area and on another day, it might’ve been given. He dodged a bullet and everyone donning the blue of Manchester City will be hoping he can consolidate his performance for the upcoming games.
All in all, it was an exciting game and a trailer of what we can expect in the season to come! With so many good teams with experienced managers, this year’s English Premier League is destined to go down to the wire.
