- The Manchester derby between United and City takes place at Old Trafford on Sunday.
- We’ve selected a combined starting lineup from both teams.
The Manchester derby between United and City takes place at Old Trafford on Sunday. Because it’s such a significant game, we’ve selected a combined starting lineup from both teams.
The hosts will be seeking retribution against their “noisy neighbors” as one of the most historic derbies in English football draws near following the Blues’ victory in the FA Cup final in June.
Here is the combined XI.
GK: Ederson (Man City)
Ederson Moraes in action for Manchester City. Photo/ BeSoccer.
Throughout Pep Guardiola’s seven years at the club, Manchester City has had to change—just like any great team.
However, Ederson, the Brazilian goalkeeper who has been with the Blues for almost 300 games and 10 major awards, has been a constant presence.
Preferred to be the greatest ‘keeper in the world’ when it comes to handling the ball, he has only let up six goals in eight Premier League games this season and, unlike his United opponent Andre Onana, has not made an error that has resulted in a goal.
RB: Kyle Walker (Man City)
Kyle Walker, who also moved from Tottenham to City in 2017, has proven to be Guardiola’s most trustworthy defender.
Walker has had a great start once more after receiving praise from all around the world during the Blues’ Champions League winning run the previous season, frequently playing in a more advanced role on the right. The 33-year-old unofficial captain of City is still among the first names on the roster.
CB: Raphael Varane (Man United)
Raphael Varane Photo/Sky Sports
In his two years with the club, World Cup champion and four-time Champions League trophy winner Raphael Varane has added skill and experience to the United defense.
Given that Manuel Akanji is out this weekend and John Stones has only just returned to City, it’s difficult to ignore the France international, who won all ten of his aerial duels and completed the most passes (84) during the Red Devils’ victory over Copenhagen in the middle of the week.
CB: Ruben Dias (Man City)
Ruben Dias, another regular for the winners, won the Premier League championship in each of his first three years of playing football in England.
The Portuguese player has been more successful since earning the FWA Player of the Year award in his first season and is still making a strong case to be called the “best defender in the world.”
LB: Josko Gvardiol (Man City)
In football, it is extremely uncommon for a team to recruit a player for everyone to know they will fit in perfectly, but Josko Gvardiol has proved to be just that at the Etihad this season.
The Croatian, who is only 21 years old, is undoubtedly the greatest young defender in Europe and has adapted well to Guardiola’s hybrid left-back/center-back position.
He has demonstrated equally great skill with the ball as he has off it; as a defender, he completes 1.37 progressive carries and 0.60 successful take-ons per game.
CM: Rodri (Man City)
Rodri. Photo/ Complete Sports Nigeria.
Although Rodri’s dismissal from Nottingham Forest last month may have contributed to City’s current run of bad luck, the player—who scored the team’s Champions League-winning goal against Inter—is unquestionably superior to the others.
Without him, the team has suffered three losses out of three, which is a clear indication of how important he is to them.
Thiago Silva is the only player to surpass his 95% pass completion rate (among players with five or more starts). He is the conduit for all things.
CM: Bruno Fernades (Man United)
Bruno Fernandes undoubtedly makes this combined starting lineup while Kevin de Bruyne is still out due to injury.
His assist totals this season have suffered by his United colleagues’ careless finishing; the previous season, he led the league in big chance creation (32). In this current campaign, only Mo Salah (9) and Kieran Trippier (7) have produced more.
CM: Phil Foden (Man City)
Phil Foden, a major factor in City’s three straight Premier League championship victories, is once again displaying his extraordinary abilities this year.
Taking on a more prominent position has given the 23-year-old the liberty to manage City’s operations without the interference of De Bruyne. Foden, who ranks sixth in terms of opportunities created this year (23), has been entertaining to watch.
LW: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Rashford. |PHOTO: SportingNews|
At his best, Marcus Rashford, United’s star player, can be unstoppable. His goal, though under dubious circumstances, was the deciding factor in the Premier League’s final Manchester derby in January.
Among forwards in Europe, his 3.57 shot-creating actions place him in the 90th percentile. Rashford, a lethal direct dribbler, will be looking to score his sixth goal in the Manchester Derby and get back to his previous level of play, which saw him tally 22 direct goal involvements.
ST: Erling Haaland (Man City)
Erling Haaland. Photo/ Breaking News.
Erling Haaland, a player who clearly makes the Premier League’s “best XI,” will undoubtedly aim to make the “all-time best XI” at some point, and he’s definitely on track to do so.
In a 6-3 victory in October, the Norwegian celebrated his first derby day with what may have been his finest performance to date, scoring a hat-trick and setting up Foden twice.
In his first season, Haaland smashed goal-scoring records, finishing with 36 goals in the league and 52 goals throughout all competitions. He established unfathomable standards. With nine this time, he leads the league once again.
RW: Julian Alvarez (Man City)
Julian Alvarez was the best player for the winners in 2023–24, despite only making 13 league starts the previous season. His performance is definitely worthy of a spot in this squad, even though it is a little out of position.
The Argentine has started all nine of City’s league games, tallying three assists and four goals of his own. It is evident why the attacker is presently unstoppable when you consider his three goals and one assist in Europe.
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