Baptism of fire awaits Erik ten Hag’s Manchester derby debut
Two giants collide at Etihad Stadium at 3pm today
The Manchester derby is considered one of the biggest derbies in the world. It is mentioned in the same breath as Boca Junior v River Plate; Inter Milan v AC Milan, the Old Firm between Celtic and Rangers, Al Ahly v Zamalek, Galatasaray v Fenerbahce and Barcelona v Real Madrid.
So, this afternoon, the City of Manchester will come to a standstill when the two giants collide at Etihad Stadium at 3pm.
The much-awaited derby provides another stern test for Erik ten Hag’s men, and also an opportunity for City’s goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland to show that he is really in the EPL to break records.
The Reds take on the unbeaten Blues on their home patch in a first outing in the division since 4 September, hoping there will be no rustiness after the Fifa break. The big question is whether everybody has returned unscathed from international duty. Martin Dubravka was forced to withdraw from the Slovakia squad due to injury, while Harry Maguire was clearly limping at the end of England’s exciting 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley.
Strikers Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have been out injured and may undergo late fitness tests. Cristiano Ronaldo was charged by the Football Association following an alleged incident at the end of last season’s league game at Everton, but is set to be available for the derby. Donny van de Beek also had a knock.
News from the City camp is that John Stones looks set to miss out after suffering a hamstring pull while on England
duty. The defender has been operating at right-back this term, but his absence could be partially offset by the return of Aymeric Laporte, who is reportedly close to a comeback after a lay-off with a knee injury. Kalvin Phillips is definitely sidelined after a shoulder surgery.
Jadon Sancho has impressed during the opening months of Ten Hag’s reign since starting seven of their eight matches across all competitions.
The 22-year-old has scored
three goals so far this campaign and it is fair to say he is one of the first names on the manager’s team sheet and he is expected to play a major role this afternoon.
From the Citizens, Haaland is the man to watch. He has scored an incredible 11 goals in the seven games that City have played. A couple of goals against the Red Devils will certify his stature as the best player in the league this season.
Haaland will be assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
The Reds take on the unbeaten Blues on their
home patch
The Belgian superstar has featured in the Manchester derby on 13 occasions and has enjoyed considerable success against the Red Devils. De Bruyne has won six of his meetings with Manchester United while at City, losing four and drawing three times.
The most emphatic victory at that time was in the most recent match, when City swept United aside with a 4-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium in March. -By