Manchester United take on Manchester City on Sunday with a view to extending their Premier League winning streak to five games.
This will be a great showdown between Erik ten Hag and Pep Guardiola, both worked together at FC Bayern Munich. With both trainers credited with top-notch tactical acumen, it’s sure to be an intriguing battle.
City are expected to play a 4-3-3 formation, and Guardiola is unlikely to stray too far from his ideals in the match.
Their recent game against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage highlighted some difficulties they can face in breaking down an organized defensive unit.
Until the 80th-minute goal from unlikely striker John Stones, the Sky Blues had failed to register a shot on target against a disciplined Dortmund side.
A lot of that came down to the profile of Guardiola’s wing players. Starting with Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish on the flanks, City had little threat at the back.
While both are good dribblers who excel in one-on-one situations, Dortmund’s denial of such chances with tight blocking made them ineffective in creating scoring chances for Erling Haaland, who was well managed by Niklas Sule and Mats Hummels.
As The Athletic’s Ahmed Walid describes it, both wingers (and Bernardo Silva when he lines up wide) seem to want the ball to get to their feet every time and have little desire to ‘attack space’.
Despite the Dortmund loss, the Red Devils can learn a lesson from their defensive performance if they come across a similar combination.
That matter could be complicated if Guardiola opts for Phil Foden. The Englishman is more of a box crasher, happy to go from behind and attack the box directly.
With five replacements available to managers this season, United can expect to have to deal with Foden at some point regardless of the starting line-up. Understanding the defensive requirements when dealing with his specific skill set and those of his team-mates will be key in limiting City’s ability to create chances for their centre-forward.
After all, it’s easier to prevent the ball from getting to Haaland than it is to deal with him once he has it, since he rarely needs many touches to score.
It’s also worth noting that Dortmund’s concessions came after switching to a 5-3-2 late in the game, with Nico Schlotterback at the back. This seemed to cost the Bundesliga side the organization that had served them so well for most of the match.
A test of nerves could be on the menu for Ten Hag if United end up in a similar position at the end, particularly as defending against City in midfield where their full-backs are is generally preferable to throwing in more centre-backs. .
As for the Manchester United set-up, Ten Hag has generally shown a preference for a man-oriented press in midfield, often opting to match his triangle with the opponent’s.
With City typically using Rodri as a sole pivot with two midfielders in front of him, United are likely to do the opposite, with Eriksen teaming up with the in-form Scott McTominay or new signing Casemiro as a double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes ahead of they.
That would allow United to put pressure on City’s midfield more directly, while retaining the creative abilities of Fernandes and Eriksen, who will be relied on for their passing skills to organize counter-attacks.
United’s forward three of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho will rely heavily on those two. The Red Devils’ attacking trio have the speed and skill to upset City, but a good offer will be vital.
As Ten Hag showed against Liverpool in United’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, he is happy to play a more pragmatic game when the need calls for it, but his quick combination scheme and fluid movement is always an expectation.
Fluency Key vs. City
Throughout the game, Man United will need to press in a 4-2-3-1 form, set up in two benches of four in case the initial pressure fails, and adopt their preferred attacking form of 4-3-3 when the attack be active.
That will require discipline and direction, but United have the form to cause an upset and, although this game against City will be more of a challenge than Jurgen Klopp’s visit, Ten Hag has the tools to cause Guardiola trouble at the Etihad. 
United Matchday Magazine: The best pre-match experienceThe Manchester derby. Ten Hag’s men are ready. this is huge
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