Manchester United lost 2-0 to Manchester City at Old Trafford in the derby, in a dominant performance by the visitors. By the end of the match, United tallied a total of 5 shots out of which only 1 was on target. City, on the other hand, accumulated a total of 16 shots, of which 5 were on the target.
First Half:
Manchester United kept the same lineup of 3-5-2 with 3 changes from the Atlanta game. Victor Lindelof replaced Raphael Varane who is out due to a hamstring injury. Mason Greenwood started ahead of Edinson Cavani who picked up an injury against the Atlanta side. Fred replaced suspended Paul Pogba in the midfield.
Manchester United kicked off the match with some hope. However, it disappeared 5 minutes into the match after City started gaining possession at the back-3 defence of United. The defence was open from the sides and Pep Guardiola’s men attacked the vulnerability. To add to this, a precise shot from Cancelo was steered right into the net by Eric Bailly. The own goal at 7 minutes was what brought the spirits down. At 26 minutes, Ronaldo tried to equalise the scoreline but his shot was denied by Ederson. Several De Gea saves had kept United in the game. Had it not been for De Gea, United would have gone 4-0 down at halftime. City, however, later doubled their lead with a goal from Bernardo Silva just at the end of half-time.
Second Half:
Manchester United switch back to the traditional 4-2-3-1 lineup as Sancho replaced Eric Bailly at the beginning of the 2nd Half after trailing 2-0 in the first half. Manchester United enjoyed slightly more possession than in the first half, but despite the arrival of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Donny van de Beek, it never troubled City. The visitors were close to scoring a third but were denied a penalty appeal 2 minutes before the end of the game. The final whistle declared the result and Manchester United lost another game at Old Trafford.
Conclusion:
The final whistle by the referee ended the match in a 2-0 loss for the Red Devils. The anger and frustration were visible on the face of the players and the audience as well. De Gea was seen hitting the top of the tunnel in frustration as he went inside after the match. Players shouldn’t be rushed after an injury as Lindelof looked off-pace today.
There should be rotation in the starting XI. Luke Shaw’s current form clearly shows he is being overplayed. Sancho, Telles and Donny should get more game-time.
The board should go looking for a new manager now as Ole’s career as a manager hasn’t been good enough. As a player, he brought fame and glory to the club but a club doesn’t run on emotions. It’s time for Manchester United to make some harsh decisions and keep the title race going.
