A few hours after the Rugby World Cup final between France and New Zealand, which promises to be an absolute cracker, there is a small matter of Manchester United vs Manchester City- a blockbuster worth watching during your Sunday afternoon. For the past several years, United have casted shadow upon their rivals. However, after the Abu Dhabi takeover of Man City, an expenditure of £300 million on players, managerial changeover from Hughes to Mancini and £1 billion plan complex for City's overall infrastructure on youth development and facilities, it's fair to say the gap has closed considerably. So what can we expect?
Man Utd, despite picking up the points, haven't been at their flowing best. Their 2-0 win over Norwich was anything but comfortable and the draw with Liverpool showed United are not so defensively solid as they used to be. However, wins against Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea will give them confidence as well as the fact they have not lost at home in the Premier League since April 2010 against Chelsea. The emergence of Young and improvement of Nani have added a quickness and excitement to United's play supplementing the attacking threat of Rooney and Hernandez. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have certainly heaved more pressure on Vidic and Ferdinand to maintain their 1st choice centre back status.Plus, United have had plenty of big game experience. Therefore, they will be confident a picking up a result.
City, on the other hand, have been impressive. Despite their indifferent form in the Champions League, City have so far obtained seven wins and a draw and thus top of the table. Their 4-1 win over Aston Villa was imperious and the ability to shrug off the Tevez ordeal illustrates all things are smooth. Mancini has loosened the shackles to play a more attacking style of football that is so different yet refreshing from last year- gone are the chants of "Boring, Boring City". Combination of Dzeko and Aguero have flourished and the freedom for Nasri and Silva to roam around have cause all defence problems. In addition, they have an outstanding captain in Vicent Kompany and maurading giant of Yaya Toure who runs like train and so difficult to stop.
Both teams will target their weakness and it is how well one team utilises their strengths to minimise their own weakness and maximise exposure of their opponent's weakness that is the key to winning the match.
Man United can focus terrorising the left back area of Man City. Clichy, Kolarov and Lescott have all been trialled but none of them have seem to cement that left back position. As a team, United must switch the ball quickly from side to side and enable their wingers to go one-on-one with City's full back and attack City with pace in behind. But will Sir Alex employ two strikers and two wingers against a dangerous City side or will he turned to the team against Liverpool and try to nulify City's attack?
Man City will instruct their players to shoot directly at goal and test Man Utd's keeper, David de Gea, who has been a liability. More importantly, Man City can physically dominate the centre of the park with Yaya Toure's power and Barry tough tackling. One worry with United is that they have not replaced Paul Scholes and Man City could expose that frailty. The biggest question is: What formation will Mancini employ? Will he revert to his trusted 4-5-1 and sacrifice one of his strikers for a destructive midfielder such as De Jong and slow the game down but reduce their own attacking threat? Or will he be bold and go with two strikers and take United head on but risk his defence at the mercy of Rooney and co?
The team selection and formation selection will be pivotal not only to the outcome of the game but the style of the game. If both managers select two strikers, expect an open and exciting game full of goals, chances and wonderful attacking play. If not, expect a pedestrian, tedious and tense match with little goal mouth action.
Either way, it will be a fascinating derby of passionate supporters and feisty tackling with huge implications, result wise. If Man Utd win, they will go top of the table and sustain their long standing fortress against Man City. If City win, they will go five points clear of Man Utd and perhaps they will show signs of breaching United's walls. City can overtake United with the quality players, spending power and infrastructure but it will they match Man Utd for tradition, longevity and history of success. Let the battle commence.
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