An epic midfield battle is to be a must watch side spectacle when Manchester United try to prevent ‘Noisy Neighbours’ Manchester City from emulating their 1999 treble winning season in Saturday’s English FA Cup final. City midfield metronome Rodri Rodrigo has provided the fulcrum on which Pep Guardiola’s vastly talented City side has won the Premier League and stormed the Uefa Champions League and FA Cup finals.
United boss Eric Ten Haag is duty bound to detail his own version of a midfield general, Casemiro, if the Red Devils are to nullify the enormous influence Rodri imposes on games with his physicality, fabulous game reading, immaculate timing of interceptions and visionary passing. Now considered a worthy heir to former midfield star Yaya Toure, the Spaniard is very much the unsung Etihad Stadium hero, providing the fuel that oils City’s irresistible passing carousel.
In the opposite corner, five time Champions League winning midfield anchor Casemiro’s arrival at Old Trafford coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Eric Ten Haag’s rebuilt side, with the Brazilian’s midfield wherewithal improving protection for the hitherto beleaguered back four while simultaneously providing a launch pad for counterattacks with his incisive passing. An instant reward was a 2-1 Premier League win less than three months after City clobbered Ten Haag’s outfit 6-3.
Though United are the bookmakers overwhelming underdogs, the controversial January 14 EPL victory is a source of comfort to Old Trafford faithful keen to derail City’s march to a historic treble as it proves the Premier League champions aren’t infallible. Indeed, the Red Devils are the second most successful side in match ups with Pep Guardiola (after Liverpool) since he arrived on English shores, with the record Premier League champions registering six victories in eighteen outings over seven years.
The Etihad Stadium supremo is expected to unleash 52-goal striking behemoth Erling Braut Haaland from the start as he tries to arrest a mini goal drought that has witnessed the Norwegian fail to score in his last three competitive fixtures. The newly crowned EPL and young player of the year last scored on May 14 as the Sky Blues whipped Everton 3-0 but has been Absent Without Leave (AWOL) in rubbers against Chelsea, Brighton and Brentford.
United’s own 30-goal hitman Marcus Rashford is Ten Haag’s very open secret weapon, with his lightning pace expected to trouble City’s high back line. As he tries to wrap up the second installment of a fabled treble, Guardiola should field his preferred starting line up in complete disregard to next week’s Champions League final date with Inter Milan. Usual suspects Kevin de Bruyne, Bernado Silva and Jack Grealish will pull the strings for Haaland and Julian Alvarez.
SATURDAY
Manchester City v Manchester United