· 2 min readIn this Man United vs Man City match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
The Manchester derby came with City clearly in the better phase. Maresca’s team were coming off four consecutive wins and three wins from three games in the Premier League. United were decent, but with obvious defensive problems. The defensive line continues to be far from the required level and that remains impossible to ignore.
The first half was poor. In the 23rd minute, everything changed when Foden was sent off. In a confrontation with Bruno Fernandes, he fell to the ground and stretched out his foot, hitting the opponent. A clear act of aggression and a completely stupid decision in a game like this. City were down to ten players for more than an hour.
But United did not take advantage. Possession was balanced and there was no danger. The numbers explained everything: 0.10 expected goals for United and 0.09 for City after 30 minutes. Bruno still found Rashford with a beautiful pass, but the Englishman could not control it.
With an extra man, United had a duty to take control. They won the ball back several times in the attacking half, but created little. In the 45th minute, Rashford took a well-placed free-kick and hit the post. It was practically the only genuinely dangerous moment of an otherwise uneventful first half.
At half-time, Carrick did not change the team, something difficult to understand. Against a City side with ten men and defending deeper, Cunha did not seem like the best option to play alone up front. Sesko could have offered more presence in the box.
In the 51st minute, Mainoo received the ball on the edge of the box and hit the post again. During the opening minutes of the second half, it was all United. But they dominated without turning that superiority into goals.
Then City showed they were still alive. In the 60th minute, on a counter-attack, Gvardiol crossed and Haaland appeared at the far post to score. The move looked clearly offside, and initially there were doubts because Enzo, also in an offside position, attacked the ball without touching it. Even Haaland looked offside from the angle, but the technology validated the 0-1. Difficult to accept visually, but City were ahead with one fewer player.
Sesko came on in the 68th minute, but United’s momentum had already disappeared. Anderson still forced a fine save from Lammens on a counter-attack and the ball hit the post. The game returned to the poor tempo of the first half.
United, though, were incapable of creating danger. Mbeumou shot inside the box after a beautiful pass from Bruno Fernandes, already in stoppage time, had a golden opportunity, but wasted it.
The second half ultimately ended up being even worse. Just 0.38 expected goals, despite having a numerical advantage for almost the entire game.
Post-match
There is no excuse. Losing a derby against ten players, without even being able to suffocate the opponent for any significant period of time, is pathetic. United had an extra man for far too long and did almost nothing with it. And that makes this defeat even more embarrassing.
