The match started in a restrained manner with both sides seemingly looking to see if there has been any changes to the other tactics, after about 6 minutes of feeling each other out, Manchester United launched an attack with intent to punish on their right side with dalot playing a long pass in between the full back Ake and center back Dias into the path of a running Sancho who decided to sprint down with the ball.
On getting to the edge of the ball and seeing dias sticking on to him like a Mad dog, he decided to go for some skills to see if he can beat him with him dunking his man and then sinking his shoulders like he wants to cut in before he pulled the ball back and with a v-turn sprinted down the flank again this time having beaten his man before he whipped a scrumptious cross into the path of rashford whose only work was to tap it in and tap it in he did.
Oh! No he didn't, what a clearance from akanji the Swiss unbreakable wall who has been unpenetrated this season so far, he's done it again and Man Utd has to regroup all over again and you don't get those sort of chance easily against Man City, better pray they don't get punished.
Well, the prayer was unanswered because in just three minutes later after Bernardo Silva held the ball on the flank and walker responded to him forcing Fred wide, de bruyne on losing his marker was quick to make and underlapping run into the box and Bernardo Silva, the little Portuguese elf was quick to dsight him and give him the ball, Casemiro was a bit late to plaster himself on him and just that bit of a time was all he needed to wreck havoc
He played a lobbed little pass over the keeper into the 8 yards box and all grealish had to do was to jump just a bit and head the ball in, 2-0 to Manchester City.
The game went up and down after that, with Man City looking to get the game under control and in their tempo while Man Utd keeps on thwarting their efforts and launching attacks whenever they can to get themselves back into the game playing a seemingly chaotic game plan with a lot of attacking transition immediately the ball was won, all manner of decorum was forgotten and they almost payed the price when a nice pass after the ball was won from Fred after attempting to launch a counter attack leading to a counter-counter attacking situation and most of not all man Utd defenders were caught napping.
Anice through pass through the middle got debrune running with the ball through the middle in a three on three formation and immediately the defenders stop retreating to face the opposition a concealed pass was disbursed into the path of haaland who swiftly controlled the ball and his shot was hit on the side netting causing every Man Utd fan in the stadium to break out in cold sweat.
The coach was quick to ask for an interval for substitution and Bruno was called to the side Ines to explain to and corrected, Fred was subbed out for Boniface and Varane came in for malacia turning the formation into a 433 format.
De gea
Dalot. Skrinar. Varane. Shaw
Gravenberch. Casemiro. Bruno
Sancho. Boniface. Rashford
The game seems to get a bit into Man Utd control or Man City she's to have relinquished control of the game planning of doing more of what they have used to create more threats in this match.
In the 67th minute of the game the goddess of luck was smiling at Man Utd after an errant cross from dalot was cleared weakly allowing the ball to fall into the path of a running Bruno who hot with all his strength (anger maybe) firing a rocket of a shot into the top right hand corner allowing for Man Utd to get back into the game.
The game was brought back into a fast tempo by Man City seemingly intentionally with them looking to profit by their opposition inability to hold on to the ball in high tempo game and use the high turn over rate to their own fulfillment.
The game came into the last 15 minutes with Man Utd bringing on Garnacho, Mctominay and Antony for dalot, Gravenberch and Sancho and Man City bringing on walker, Foden, Alvarez and Mahrez for Dias (knock), Grealish, Haaland and Gundogan.
At the 78th minute, man Utd using the width of the pitch relayed a pass to Garnacho who the played a cross into the ball and was headed by Boniface who under the interference of dias was only able to direct it without power and was saved by Ederson.
At the 80th minute, a rondo style play was hit by Man City on the right side before de bruyne hit a cross into the box that varane barely cleared almost causing an own goal
Man Utd was the one with the chance this time in the 81st with Antony hitting a culred shot after receiving a pass from Casemiro and playing a quick one-two with Boniface, the shot after beating Ederson was only able to hit the upright.
Man Utd came back again with an indirect free kick on the left side of the pitch, that was lobbed in by shaw into the head of Casemiro who was able to hit squarely but Ederson was up to the task.
A long pass from Ederson caused quite a bit of panic in the Manchester United box when foden upon receiving the pass unmarked sprinted down the flank and whipped in a cross that was tapped by Alvarez and saved by de gea's leg and came to de bruyne whose attempt to shoot was blocked by shaw and rodri hit a hell of a curve shot that was just centimeters wide.
Manchester United soon was able to get themselves back on level terms with Garnacho receiving a long pass from Skrinar whose attempt to spike walker was almost successful but slipped but was able to to get up fast and avoid walker's rash challenge for the ball and then whipp in a cross to Rashford who tapped it in. 2-2. Late drama and now the match is open for anybody, would there be a later drama or would the points from the match be shared.
The match went crazy at that point and shots were flying from both sides with both teams keeper becoming the main characters of the game at this point.
At the last minute of the game, A big chance was created for Man Utd after a wayward pass from walker was seen and intercepted by Garnacho who immediately passed to Boniface and the later with a light touch skipped pass Akanji, and using body movement nutmegged Ake and found himself in the right side of the box eighteen, he then attempted to lay on a simple pass for Garnacho to kill the game but Rodri came roaring in and with the spirit of all the great 6s in him, Makelele, Gattuso, Redondo and others, used a sliding tackle to clear the ball and player and immediately after the referee ended the game without listening to the rants and complains from the Manchester United players asking for a penalty kick. Rodri was celebrated like a hero by the Manchester City players especially Walker.
The Manchester Derby ended in a draw.