Goalless Manchester derby leaves City and United edging towards 30-Year Champions League first
The opening 35 seconds of Sunday's Manchester derby hinted it might be a classic in the making. That was not the case. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
A DISAPPOINTING goalless Manchester derby summed up the poor league campaigns being endured by both clubs and left the pair staring at an unwanted 30-year-old record.
Not since 1995-96 has there been a season without a Manchester club in the Champions League, a scenario that Ruben Amorim could prevent by winning the Europa League with United. They face a quarter-final first leg in Lyon on Thursday.
Despite the goalless draw, Pep Guardiola’s team is still in the top five, which will almost certainly mean the Champions League, but face a tough battle to stay there.
And, given the low quality and lack of entertainment on display in this meeting, it was hard to make a case that either side deserves to be there next season.
The opening 35 seconds of this game hinted that this might be a derby day classic in the making.
Alejandro Garnacho surged through on goal only to be brought down by Ruben Dias, with many in the crowd thinking referee John Brooks had awarded a United penalty.
Instead, he had correctly given the hosts a free-kick on the edge of the area, which Bruno Fernandes struck straight into the City wall. Little did a sell-out Old Trafford know then, that was as exciting as it would get.
The best chances of the first half probably fell to United, although with only 37 goals from their previous 30 league games, it was probably no surprise that Ederson was not forced into a serious save.
Diogo Dalot picked out unmarked Garnacho with a pinpoint cross, only for the young winger to fall over without getting in a shot, and Patrick Dorgu’s terrible first touch looked more like a back-pass as he connected with a Garnacho cross.
City, without the injured Erling Haaland, hardly represented an attacking threat themselves and were limited to long-range efforts - Kevin De Bruyne hitting one straight at Andre Onana and Ilkay Gundogan shooting just wide from another.
Part of City’s problem lay in the make-up of the team - midfield trio De Bruyne, Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic are a combined 97 years old - which meant they lacked the pace to unlock a defence-first United.
But the second half opened a little more promisingly for the visitors, with Phil Foden denied by some good defending by Noussair Mazraoui and De Bruyne whipping in a dangerous cross.
De Bruyne, who announced on Friday that he will be leaving City at the end of the season, had been the focus of the pre-match build-up.
And he was clearly keen to sign off from his last Manchester derby in style, making room for himself on 53 minutes to take a shot from the edge of the area which, once again, was straight at Onana in the home goal.
Omar Marmoush, standing in for Haaland, also had a half-chance which was struck directly at the keeper although United were beginning to enjoy some spells of pressure that forced Ederson and his defenders into action.
Dorgu’s cross was cleared by Dias, prompting penalty appeals from home fans who thought he had handled, before City responded with a 67th minute Marmoush free-kick that was parried clear by Onana.
Marmoush was also responsible for the best moment so far, a minute later, latching on to a half-cleared De Bruyne corner with a stunning volley that Onana did brilliantly to keep out with a flying stop.
Manuel Ugarte tried to follow suit, from a cleared Dalot cross soon after, but his 18-yard shot was slightly less spectacular and, in any case, flew wide.
United responded with their own best chance of the match, Dorgu’s cross finding substitute Joshua Zirkzee whose first-time shot drew a fine save from Ederson, with Mason Mount’s follow-up blocked.
Onana 7; Yoro 6, Maguire 6 (Lindelof 57, 5), Mazraoui 7; Dalot 6, Ugarte 6 (Mount 70, 5), Casemiro 7, Dorgu 5; Fernandes 6, Garnacho 6; Hojlund 4 (Zirkzee 70, 7). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Eriksen, Shaw, Amass, Chido, Kukonki.
Ederson 7; Nunes 6, Dias 6, Gvardiol 6, O’Reilly 6 (Lewis 73, 5); Kovacic 6; Silva 6, Gundogan 6 (Grealish 73, 5); De Bruyne 7; Foden 5 (Doku 57, 5), Marmoush 7. Substitutes (not used) Ortega, Gonzalez, Savinho, Reis, Bobb, McAtee.
J Brooks 7
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