Manchester United – Manchester City: Boring, Boring Manchester! (0-0)

This Manchester Derby was far from the spectacle neutrals would have hoped for. Rúben Amorim set his Manchester United side up in a solid medium block, and for the most part, it proved effective – partly helped by Manchester City’s inability to carve out meaningful chances. At the other end, United had opportunities to kill off the game, but their familiar issues in the final third persisted.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

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There hasn’t been much positivity or a glimmer of hope for either Manchester side this season. Both City and United have certainly fallen off a cliff, with significant rebuilding likely in store for the upcoming summer.

For Manchester United, this derby wasn’t the most important fixture of the week, given their upcoming Europa League encounter against Olympique Lyonnais. However, sitting 13th with just 37 points is something even the most pessimistic of supporters wouldn’t have predicted. There were, however, slight signs of improvement before the international break, as they had lost just once in their previous seven matches. But a narrow defeat to Nottingham Forest certainly put them on the back foot once again, especially with a tough run of fixtures ahead.

Rúben Amorim made a couple of changes from that game – one in defence and one in attack. André Onana retained his place in goal, with a back three of Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire (coming in for Matthijs de Ligt), and Leny Yoro. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu continued as wing-backs. In midfield, Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro started, with Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Højlund (in place of Joshua Zirkzee) ahead of them.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are in a heated race for the top five. The likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United were all close behind them in the table, and any slip-up could prove costly in the battle for Champions League qualification. Pep Guardiola’s side certainly appear to be back on track after the international break, with two victories – one over AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup and another against Leicester City in the league. They entered the derby with more at stake than United, given their realigned ambitions this season.

Guardiola continued with Ederson in goal and used the same back four that played against Leicester City -Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly. In midfield, İlkay Gündoğan continued, while Mateo Kovačić, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden all returned to action. With Erling Haaland injured, Omar Marmoush kept his place up front.

City’s midfield overloads

The opening minute of the game was certainly an eye-opener, though it provided a false sense of how the match would unfold. Manchester United bypassed City’s rather passive press with a few simple vertical passes, creating space for Garnacho to burst past the defense. Dias eventually brought him down just outside the penalty area, offering an early warning sign for the visitors. However, from that point onward, the game settled into a predictable rhythm, with City dominating possession and United content to sit in a mid-to-low block and absorb pressure.

Erling Haaland’s absence was also a significant blow for City – not just due to his obvious goalscoring threat, but also because their structure in possession is built around his presence. His ability to pin opposition centre-backs frequently afforded City a numerical advantage in midfield, so Guardiola had to rethink his approach.

City initially set up with an asymmetrical 2-2 or 2-3 shape in the first phase of build-up, with Bernardo Silva frequently dropping next to the right-sided centre-back or operating alongside to Kovačić (and occasionally Gündoğan, who shifted left to assist progression). Nunes and Nico O’Reilly provided width, though both were selective in when to hug the touchline.

With their structure established, City’s intentions became clear – they aimed to pin United’s back three using a front two of Foden (at times De Bruyne as well) and Marmoush, while De Bruyne/Foden and Gündoğan operated in the half-spaces. Bernardo Silva had a flexible role, supporting the build-up before advancing into midfield to create a numerical superiority against Casemiro and Ugarte.

City looked to lure United’s front three into pressing before exploiting the gaps that appeared in the half-spaces. However, in the early stages, they even opted for a direct approach, often targeting Marmoush with aerial balls. In such sequences, De Bruyne and Foden would drop into midfield to draw out Maguire and Yoro, allowing the Egyptian forward to stay isolated with Mazraoui. While the vertical option looked good on paper, the execution was often poor, while Mazraoui also dealt with it effectively.

Eventually, City grew into the game and started establishing midfield overloads against United’s 5-2-3 structure. However, their execution and timing in the final third left much to be desired. Although they managed to progress the ball through central areas on a few occasions, the end product often amounted to little more than speculative efforts from distance.

39th minute: A textbook example of City’s midfield overload. Nunes bypassed Garnacho and drew Ugarte out of position. That opened up space centrally, allowing Nunes to find Kovačić, who had escaped Fernandes’ attention. Kovačić then dragged Casemiro out, with City’s forwards pinning the backline. This freed up Gündoğan as the extra man, who received on the half-turn in space. However, his finish was poor, scuffing what should have been a high-quality chance.

A key issue for City lied in the absence of reliable passers outside the block – a problem that has hit them ever since Rodri’s injury. In this game, Guardiola’s men made 76 entries into the final third but managed only five entries inside the penalty area (stat via @SkyBlueTimes). The struggle between risk and reward certainly continues to be a major concern, as their inability to pick the right moments to break lines has made them quite ineffective in attack.

An improved Manchester United performance

United’s out-of-possession shape largely fulfilled its purpose, despite leaving certain gaps that City failed to exploit. They even eventually transitioned into a more compact 5-4-1 structure to reduce spaces between the lines. In possession, their initial approach appeared relatively straightforward – frequent diagonal switches to Dorgu and Garnacho were a recurring theme, while Dalot also became increasingly involved once they advanced into the final third. United aimed to engineer two-versus-one situations out wide against City’s full-backs. While this approach did create a few openings, clear-cut chances remained scarce.

Their most effective route of progression, however, came through Bruno Fernandes, who operated in a free role. Though he initially positioned himself on the right, he often drifted centrally to influence the game. In response, City attempted to mirror United’s back-five structure out of possession, with Marmoush, De Bruyne, and Phil Foden pressing the centre-backs, while Kovačić and Gündoğan stepped into midfield. Silva functioned as a makeshift wing-back at times, tasked with tracking Dorgu or Garnacho’s runs (depending on their movement) – a clear indication of City’s man-oriented pressing.

United found joy particularly on the right flank multiple times, exploiting City’s struggles in executing marking rotations during the press.

26th minute: United’s build-up sequence. As Mazraoui received possession, City attempted to trap United on the right side. Fernandes dropped into midfield, and his marker, Gvardiol, hesitated to follow him deep. Mazraoui’s long ball picked out the Portuguese midfielder, who linked up smartly with Højlund. United bypassed City’s press and quickly transitioned, using Garnacho’s pace to stretch the line. However, with limited runners joining the attack, Dorgu’s eventual strike flew over the bar.

In this instance, City ideally should have reverted to their hybrid system – with Foden shifting across to cover Casemiro and Kovačić screening the central defenders. This has been a hallmark of Guardiola’s sides in recent seasons, but their lack of clarity in reading the triggers allowed United to build effectively down the right using Casemiro and Fernandes.

In the second half, United stepped up their intensity – helped in part by City’s substitutions. Guardiola introduced Jack Grealish and Jérémy Doku in place of Gündoğan and Foden, shifting City’s attacking focus more heavily towards the left flank. However, their decision-making continued to let them down. United, on the other hand, made more progressive changes – Amorim brought on Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount for Højlund and Ugarte, with Fernandes subsequently dropping deeper alongside Casemiro, which helped in their progression.

A representation of how both teams progressed. City tried to use their midfield overload, but a lack of penetration into the box is clearly visible. United, on the other hand, built primarily through Fernandes on the right flank, with the Portuguese playmaker having a significant influence on the game.

As the game reached its closing stages and both sides pushed for a winner, the momentum slightly tilted in United’s favour. They certainly had the players to hurt City in transition, particularly targeting City’s right side, where Garnacho and Dorgu repeatedly overloaded Nunes. In the end, however, neither team found the cutting edge required, as the match fizzled out into a draw – a derby defined more by caution and poor decisions in the final third than by quality.

Takeaways

It was undoubtedly a much-improved performance from Manchester United compared to recent outings. Rúben Amorim will be encouraged by how his side consistently bypassed Manchester City’s press, progressing into the final third with purpose. However, the final ball once again let them down – a recurring issue that continues to draw scrutiny. Still, it’s a valuable point, and attention now turns to their upcoming Europa League fixture.

Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, will be left frustrated by his side’s display. While City’s out-of-possession structure and pressing worked quite decently, they struggled to generate meaningful chances throughout the match, which is a growing concern. As more opponents opt to sit deep and absorb pressure, City are increasingly finding it difficult to break them down. The midfield lacked penetration and any real element of risk-taking, resulting in a toothless performance in what was a crucial game in the context of their season.

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