According to Google Maps, it is an hour and a half walk from Old Trafford stadium in the west of Manchester to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in the east. Partly clad in red, many United fans will have covered at least part of the distance between the two stadiums on foot this Sunday. The majority will have saved themselves the trouble and boarded a crowded subway. On the way to the Manchester derbythe biggest game of the year for football fans from the British working-class city.
The geographical distance between the home of Manchester United and that of the city rivals may have remained the same since the turn of the century at more than four miles (about seven kilometers), but the sporting gap between the two clubs has widened in recent years. On Sunday, Manchester City emphasized to their own audience that it has surpassed United on many fronts. In derby number 187 in history, the team of coach Josep Guardiola, according to recipe, was dominant on the ball. City players made more than seven hundred passes, United did not even reach half that number. Partly due to two goals from captain and architect of the team Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City won 4-1.
The result is above all a confirmation of the current course of the season. The City machine is running smoothly again this football year. In the Premier League, the team dominates almost every game and has held the top spot in the rankings for a long time. In the Champions League, Manchester City is already with one and a half legs in the quarterfinals after a 5-0 gala victory over Sporting Portugal and the team is also still active in the FA Cup tournament.
The trophies to be won again this season are confirmation of what Guardiola has once again succeeded in. The Spaniard, previously coach of FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, has forged a team that prefers to look for a goal in the most pure football form.
Each player has a role in the plan of attack, which starts with goalkeeper Ederson. No weak links in the build-up, every place in the team is occupied by a technically gifted player. He must be able to speed up the game, wherever on the field. If the ball goes around fast enough, a hole will automatically be found in the opponent’s defense line.
class difference
Many United fans must have hoped on their way to the stadium that the frenzy surrounding the derby would give their team extra energy. But sentiments did not make the class difference between the two teams much smaller on Sunday. “No Manchester United player would now be in the starting line-up at Manchester City,” former United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports the difference in quality between the two teams.
Cleanliness in the pass, position changes and more running actions; there is more conviction in everything at Manchester City. At Manchester United, the engine falters more than once this season. A team with stars, who don’t often bring out the best in each other. At first glance, few solids, players who have been out of shape for some time. Trainer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a club hero, had to leave the field in November last year due to disappointing results. The results are also mixed under his successor, the German Ralf Rangnick.
After the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, who has shaped Manchester United teams for more than a quarter of a century and largely filled the club’s trophies during that time, the situation has not really been stable in the western part of the football-loving world. manchester. United has not yet lost its status as a top club, it derives that allure from the millions of fans worldwide. There was still the win of the Europa League in 2017, when Ajax was defeated 2-0 in the final in Sweden. A prize with an aftertaste, because Manchester United were not used to acting at the second European level.
Also in financial terms, Manchester City has now surpassed the city rival. According to an annual report by accounting firm KPMG on the financial status of European football clubs, City booked a turnover of 644 million euros in the 2020-2021 season. About half of that amount was earned from the sale of broadcasting rights.
Reaching the Champions League final last year, which Manchester City lost to Chelsea, boosted television broadcast revenues even more. Manchester United came to 557 million euros in revenues over the previous season, a difference of 87 million euros.
Cristiano Ronaldo
At the start of this season, Manchester United still dealt a small blow to the rival. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was missing on Sunday due to a hip injury, would have been close to a transfer to Manchester City in the summer, according to British sports media. But it did not come to a signature under the City contract. A phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson, who Ronaldo played for during his first spell at Manchester United, convinced the Portuguese to return to his former club.
But Ronaldo, now 37 years old, does not get the fans at Old Trafford often enough this season. In his last eight games, the Portuguese scored only once.
Only history seems to be on the side of Manchester United. The big names who played at Old Trafford in the 1960s, winning the European Cup I and Champions League, the countless Premier League titles and the successful teams of Ferguson. There is not much that can be done for Manchester City (yet) – history is not for sale. But the club, which was bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, now knows more than just how to cope with Manchester United on almost all fronts.
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