This Saturday will see the first Manchester derby of the season when Manchester United travel to the Etihad to play their arch-rivals Manchester City.
The Red Devils registered a solid win against Tottenham on Wednesday night, and moved up the table, while Manchester City waltzed past Burnley 4-1.
City are 11 points above Manchester United in the league table and three places ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men. The defending champions go into this game as the overwhelming favourites as their rivals have struggled for consistency this season, and looked to have gone a few steps back from last season.
But, City have had a few issues as well, which United could exploit on Saturday. Let’s take a look at 3 things Manchester United should do to beat Manchester City:
3 ways how Manchester United can beat Manchester City
#3 Quick passes into the strikers
It’s quite evident that Manchester City have looked woeful at the back ever since the injury to Aymeric Laporte. City have not kept a clean sheet since the last week of October, conceding at least one goal in the last eight games.
One tactic that Solskjaer could use is to ask his defenders and midfielders to play early balls into the attack, using his team’s quick attackers to drive at the vulnerable City defence.
Marcus Rashford and Daniel James should be given the freedom to drive into central areas and take on Manchester City’s defenders. Liverpool made it work, and Manchester United could possibly replicate that same tactic.
#2 Don’t offer City’s midfielders space
Fred and Scott Mctominay were in superb form against Spurs, and the former played his best game in a Manchester United shirt, pressing high, passing the ball forward and making driving runs into the box.
United need to stop City’s midfielders, especially Kevin de Bruyne, and not offer them space to run at Harry Maguire and co. in the United backline.
They should press de Bruyne and Rodri high up the pitch, and try to nick the ball off the City midfielders to counter-attack.
#1 Play a three-man defence
Solskjaer has been the only manager this season to get a point off Liverpool in the league, and he did so by playing deep with a three-man defence.
He could go back to this same formation as that will allow his attackers to play high up the pitch and not track back to defend.
A three-man defence will make it tough for City to penetrate through the middle, where they are deadly.
