Manchester City looming treble, their contrast to 1998/99 Manchester United

• Manchester City defeated Real Madrid to book their slot in the UEFA Champions League finals
• Manchester City are now just three wins away from completing the treble
• The last team winning the treble was Manchester United in the 1998/1999 season
• Just what is the difference between the 1999 Manchester United and the 2023 Manchester City?

Manchester City and their quest for a treble draws closer as they convincingly defeated Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. Pep Guardiola’s team now require only one win from their remaining three Premier League matches to secure the title. Additionally, they have a chance to win the FA Cup and Champions League by defeating Manchester United and Inter Milan, respectively. City aims to replicate the success achieved by their local rivals, Manchester United, who claimed victory on all three fronts under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1998-99 season.

Premier League

Comparing the two teams, similarities can be drawn between this season’s Premier League title race and the one from 1998-99. Neither City nor United dominated the table for an extended period, trailing behind Arsenal at various stages of the run-in.

At the beginning of April, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had an eight-point lead over Guardiola’s side, while in 1999, Arsenal held a three-point advantage over Ferguson’s men with two matches remaining, although City and United had a game in hand. Just as United emerged victorious with a 20-match unbeaten run, City’s current 14-game unbeaten streak places them within reach of clinching their fifth title in six years.

Statistically, Guardiola’s team has had a stronger season, accumulating 85 points and scoring 92 goals with three games still to play, while United finished their campaign with 79 points and 80 goals.

READ: Manchester City beat Real Madrid to advance to the UCL final

Erling Haaland’s goal tally for City stands at an impressive 36, double the number scored by Dwight Yorke, United’s top scorer in 1998-99. However, United had other players like Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who reached double figures in goals, while only Phil Foden has done so for City (10 goals).

Defensively, Guardiola’s side has conceded 31 goals so far, the joint-fewest in the league alongside Newcastle, whereas United conceded 37 goals in 1998-99, more than Arsenal (17), Chelsea (30), and Leeds (34).

UEFA Champions League

Manchester City players celebrate after scoring against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final clash at the Etihad on Wednesday, May 17 2023. | PHOTO: Manchester City FC |

In the Champions League, City topped their group, overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, and Copenhagen. United finished second in their group behind Bayern Munich but ahead of Barcelona and Brondby.

City went on to defeat RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid over two legs, mainly thanks to commanding victories in their home matches. In contrast, United faced a bumpier journey in 1999, having to navigate past Inter Milan and Juventus across two legs before reaching the final against Bayern.

City’s Champions League campaign has been characterized by a strong defence, having conceded only five goals while scoring 31. United, on the other hand, lifted the trophy after scoring 29 and conceding 16.

City has not conceded more than one goal in a Champions League match this season, whereas United was involved in high-scoring encounters, including two 3-3 draws against Barcelona in the group stage and a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Juventus in the semi-final second leg.

FA Cup

In the FA Cup, City’s journey to the final has been relatively smooth, with clean sheets against Chelsea, Arsenal, Bristol City, Burnley, and Sheffield United. They have become the first team since Everton in 1965-66 to reach the final with a perfect defensive record.

In contrast, United faced challenges throughout their 1998-99 campaign. They came from behind against Middlesbrough and Liverpool in rounds three and four and required replays to defeat Chelsea in the quarter-finals and Arsenal in the semi-finals. The victory against Arsenal was particularly memorable, with Peter Schmeichel saving a Dennis Bergkamp penalty to keep the score at 1-1, and Ryan Giggs scoring a sensational goal in extra time.