Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and his City counterpart Pep Guardiola are not that dissimilar, according to former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.
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Mourinho and United, following an global break, will now turn their attentions to the upcoming Manchester derby, as the 53-year-old renews his rivalry with Pep Guardiola.
It’s the first time that a Mourinho-led United meets a Guardiola-led City, and the way both teams are playing we’re in for an absolute treat.
Guardiola? He doesn’t have the b***s to sit down and talk to me and I don’t like that.
How the match unfolds, both on the pitch and the sidelines, promises to be one of the season’s most compelling events.
“In a situation like this (Spain), individual fights make sense because they can influence things”.
It is three years since they last shared a touchline and Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford marks the resumption of a duel that could determine the outcome of the Premier League title race. Elsewhere for the home side, there remains questions over full-back Antonio Valencia’s spot in the lineup with the Ecuadorian global not expected to arrive back until Friday London time.
And the 2013 Federation Internationale de Football Association U-17 World Cup victor with Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates has welcomed the opportunity to fill Ageuro’s boots for the clash at Old Trafford.
For City, star striker Aguero is set to miss the first of his three matches through suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct. Vincent Kompany remains a doubt, while Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are available to make their debuts but may not be fit enough to play.
Nicolas Otamendi will be given a late fitness test as he’ll return late from worldwide duty but he’s expected to line-up alongside John Stones at the back with Vincent Kompany still out through injury.
The two men are back working together at Manchester United this summer, after striking a bond during their time at Inter Milan.
The Manchester derby is one of the premium fixtures the English top flight has to offer.
“Every game must be looked at as an opportunity to win three points whoever the opposition”.
The party continued for young striker Rashford when the pair met in March earlier this year.
The 20-year-old shot to prominence back in March 2015 when he scored against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu and is unlikely to be phased at the prospect of taking on Manchester United.
“But derbies always are (full of tension), right through from the ’70s when I played”.
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“It’s not only going to be a tactical game but a technical game at the weekend, with a lot of heart on everyone’s sleeves I suppose, so I’m trying to take in as much as I can this week to prepare myself for the game”.
