Manchester United faced Manchester City in the Community Shield, the traditional opening match of the English football season.
The Red Devils were seeking to secure the shield for the 22nd time in their history, and this was their third encounter with their city rivals in the competition.
Andre Onana was the starting goalkeeper, while Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire formed the center back partnership. Diogo Dalot made his first pre-season appearance of the season on the right, while Lisandro Martinez did the same, but from the unfamiliar position of left back.
Casemiro was flanked by Kobbie Mainoo in the midfield, while Mason Mount occupied a more advanced position. Bruno Fernandes was deployed in the false nine position, while Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo were deployed on the flanks.
On a scorching afternoon at Wembley Stadium, we discovered the following three facts.
Amad Diallo maintains his impressive preseason performance.
In the initial 30 minutes of the match, Manchester United encountered significant difficulty in obtaining possession. However, they emerged as a more significant threat in the final 15 minutes of the half.
The 21-year-old was a significant factor in this, as he maintained his electrifying performance from the United States tour. He was the driving force behind the majority of United’s successful offensive efforts until he was unexpectedly substituted after 60 minutes. He was both quick-footed and skilled.
He successfully navigated the City defense by collaborating with Mason Mount and Casemiro on the right side. However, he missed with a feeble shot that went wide. His second significant moment occurred when he likely should have taken his own life, but instead dropped the ball to Mason Mount, who had not fully comprehended the situation, resulting in the ball drifting out of play.
Casemiro demonstrated potential.
The Brazilian was a subject of much criticism last season due to his numerous subpar performances in the center of the field.
In reality, he was excluded from the FA Cup final last season; however, he maintained a consistent presence in the midfield, despite the fact that Kobbie Mainoo was struggling.
The 32-year-old did make his almost trademark unnecessary attempts at the ball a few times, but he otherwise delivered a professional performance. He formed a strong partnership with Diallo on the right side and delivered a well-placed pass to Marcus Rashford, who had a promising position but failed to score.
Casemiro also executed a few impressive long passes over the top, including one that allowed Bruno Fernandes to advance towards the goal. However, Fernandes’ effort was directed directly at the goalkeeper.
The former Real Madrid midfielder was also an active presence from a defensive perspective, as he assisted in the disruption of numerous City attacks in the first half and continued this by pursuing and blocking Jeremy Doku’s route to goal early in the second half.
Possession of promising shoots
In pre-season, Erik ten Hag has made an effort to increase his control over the match by playing out from the back. However, there were concerns about whether this approach would be implemented against City, the possession champions.
Despite the fact that the Red Devils possessed minimal possession during the initial 30 minutes of the game, they were able to execute a few impressive plays in the final 15 minutes.
United’s success in the FA Cup final was largely due to their exceptional transition and over-the-top play. However, this game was characterized by one-twos and rapid feet, which were largely initiated by Diallo in the first half.
United maintained considerable control over the possession and the game at the outset of the second half. In the final 45 minutes, they were the superior team, and their pressure ultimately paid off when substitute Alejandro Garnacho completed an ambitious run. However, they were set back by a late City equalizer.
The issue of passing out from the back persisted, as Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire were unable to maintain consistency with Andre Onana. However, supporters are optimistic that the impending signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Martinez’s return to the central position will alleviate this concern.
Rashford struck the post and Bruno Fernandes’ superb strike was disallowed for offside, demonstrating that Ten Hag’s team still possessed the potential to overwhelm City. United would possess an impressive arsenal to deploy throughout the season if they were able to conquer both attack styles.
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