Before the match against English Super Cup, Manchester City announced the names of a series of key players who did not participate. Among them, Jack Grealish was included in the list of registered players to compete, but was scratched due to injury before the game started.
Entering the match with 4 names not in the main squad last season, including Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb, Nico O'Reilly, and James McAtee, Pep Guardiola's team faced significant difficulties in implementing their playing style in the first half. The young players coordinated well with each other, but when they needed to launch the ball up to Erling Haaland and create opportunities in front of Manchester United's penalty area, many situations were still not effective.
Outside the pitch, Pep Guardiola was visibly frustrated. It wasn't until the last third of the first half that Manchester City's playing style stabilized, and the team began to create more threatening opportunities.
The standout player for Manchester City was Jemery Doku and young talent Oscar Bobb. For most of the first half, when the midfield was not well connected, Manchester City played a lot of wing play. The left wing with Doku's explosive performance still had a significant threat. Meanwhile, the right wing with Bobb was a new and interesting aspect. This young striker had a tendency to play like Phil Foden, often speeding up the ball and cutting into the box to shoot.
The most threatening situation for Manchester City was also Bobb's shot that hit the post. This good performance by the 21-year-old English player promises a spot in Manchester City's starting lineup for the 2024-2025 season.
It wasn't until key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva entered the game that Manchester City regained control of the midfield and had a significant advantage every time they launched an attack. This raises a question for Pep Guardiola about upgrading the team's personnel. De Bruyne is aging and often injured, and if there is no suitable replacement outside of Foden, Manchester City may struggle like they did against Manchester United at Wembley.
For Manchester United, the biggest disappointment was the familiar name - Marcus Rashford. The English striker had 3 good opportunities, including a particularly notable one where he shot the ball wide of the opponent's goal. Unfortunately, Rashford's shot was off target by a few meters.
At the moment Rashford shot the ball, many Manchester United fans at Wembley Stadium were disappointed. The camera immediately cut to assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutch coach seemed unmoved by the shot. Van Nistelrooy had spent several weeks of the pre-season tour in the United States teaching Manchester United players how to shoot, but the results were still disappointing.
Manchester United's defense, with several gaps (Lisandro Martinez had to play left back), was a mess. Unlike Manchester City's zonal defense, Manchester United's players often relied on numbers to chase the ball. As a result, when they gained possession, the team's formation was disorganized, and Casemiro was often unable to develop the ball further and was frequently blocked in the opponent's half.
The physical condition of many players was not satisfactory, a weakness that was evident in Manchester United's performance in this match. Players like Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, and Kobbie Mainoo were often exhausted in one-on-one situations or when trying to speed up. Without Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, and Amad Diallo to compensate, it's unclear how Manchester United would have performed against their opponents.
The addition of two new players, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazaroui, before the match was a positive sign for Erik ten Hag. However, the Dutch coach still needs at least one defensive midfielder to strengthen the team's depth and create more competition among his players.
