The most recent iteration of the Manchester Derby will not live in the memory for long, since United and City have carried out an uninvited 0-0 draw.
While both sides had the strange moments of quality, it was always close enough to win the game, which was only two great chances in the entire 90 minutes.
How the game unfolds
Alejandro Garnacho rose back in the first 60 seconds and Old Trafford broke out with requirements for a penalty, but the contact came only slightly in front of the box and instead a free kick was given. Bruno Fernandes sent his efforts directly into the wall.
Phil Foden tensioned far, but United couldn’t believe that they were not in front of them for 20 minutes when Diogo Dalot’s cross flew over the six-yard box. Manuel Ugarte could not reach his header and Garnacho could not control a desperate effort on the back post.
Ugarte was the next one who looked at the city goal. Fernandes’ Dinked Cross sent the Uruguay international on the back post, but was able to control his salva again and wide.
In the first half there would be no separation of the two sides. The city dominated the possession and stood out over 60%, but it was United who had the better chance of founding a derby that would not live in memory for long.
City seemed to take a tour just two minutes after the restart. Foden came after and just had to pull the trigger, but lasted too long and allowed Nussair Mazraoui to distort the effort far.
Omar Marmoush’s free kick was conveniently warded off by Andre Onana, who needed strong wrists to push a wild salt out of the city when the bar passed the last 20 minutes.
Two united substitutes were next to the fire of the city gate next to the fire. Everson refused to refuse Joshua Zirkzee before Mason Mounts was blocked sweetly beaten. It may have been as tight as United to break the Deadlock, but the game simply lacked the quality that was necessary to determine a winner.
The judgment on social media was that this could easily have been thought to have been considered a testimony to departure for the midfielder of City, Kevin de Bruyne.
Neither United nor City seemed ready to take the game on the neck, neither United nor City seemed to take a risk to simply avoid defeat instead of taking a risk. Pep Guardiola’s team had a lot of ball, but rarely looked like problems, while the superior desire of United had dulled due to their continuing lack of quality in the last third.
Both players were satisfied with the result after the final pipe, but this feeling was not shared by the followers.
Days after confirming his upcoming departure, Kevin de Bruyne led the city with his last Manchester derby. It was lively and active, but rarely effective.
No player lost more in the first half in the first half than the Belgian, since de Bruyne played alongside all in City Blue with lethargy and a lack of ideas, which meant that United’s backline rarely fell victim to the typical creative brilliance of the Belgian.
He did not manage to create a single chance, did not complete any of his dribbling or crosses and only won one of his nine duels in a bitterly disappointing Derby for one of the best of this game.
Pep Guardiola concentrated his efforts to win the midfield battle here. His 4-1-2-1-2 was tight, and Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva all played behind de Bruyne in a diamond, but the trio failed to do justice to the task.
The mighty midfield of United was accepted by the mighty midfield. Casemiro was a dominant, destructive presence, while Fernandes regularly switched between the lines and found countless room pockets to make things happen.
Casemiro deserves special praise here. No player in the Premier League this season made more than his eleven tackles here in a game, while his 13 duels are also a league high.
When United fell in Nottingham Forest in the middle of the week, Garnacho pulled a lot of criticism from United fans and even admitted Ruben Amorim that the Argentine was not exactly in the best form. Nevertheless, Garnacho retained enough to get the nod here.
He stole the headlines almost with a powerful drive in the first minute and would have been easy to use in a first half in which he can be used as much as any other player. The ProBligie is an obvious problem, but as those who have played at the highest level, the fans often remember if the concern only begins if Garnacho stops getting into these encouraging positions.
Take a look at the player reviews of Man UTD 0-0 Man City here.