Having been anxiously looking forward to Saturday’s Manchester derby and the clash of José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola’s respective new-look teams, supporters in red were no doubt left frustrated by the final 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
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Bravo, who started his footballing career as a striker, demonstrated his technical skills by spraying passes out to the halfway line during the pre-match warmup and he did the same during the game, even when put under pressure by United’s players.
Honestly, I had two or three players in the first half who, if I knew what I know now, I don’t play them. In the second half, we were the best team. We had counter attacks and we didn’t finish.
“But we were also punished by our very bad first half and that’s football”. In this case, until they win a big match, Mourinho and especially Pogba will be the popular figures to be mocked in the Premier League.
“We are very disappointed with the result”, Mourinho said, “but I’m also disappointed with two decisions of Mark”.
“If you tell me that Bravo’s challenge is not a penalty and a red card, then I tell you that anywhere else on the pitch it is a foul”, he said after the match.
The United boss started both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard, but hauled them off at half-time, bringing on Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera. You see how they react.
“We have to take some good things”.
Aleksandar Kolarov’s high ball was flicked on by Iheanacho-in for the suspended Sergio Aguero-and De Bruyne beat Daley Blind to the ball before clinically wrong-footing David de Gea.
Mourinho wore a face of thunder on the touchline, but Bravo gave his side a lifeline three minutes before half-time. Ibrahimovic was clinical with his reaction, volleying first time into the net from just inside the area.
“In the first half, for 35 minutes it was City in control, City deserved to be in front”.
Bravo looked a bag of nerves and almost presented United with an equaliser before halftime and when Mourinho sought a more positive approach from his side with a double substitution at halftime, youngster Marcus Rashford made an immediate impact.
“They played long balls and diagonals to win and it was nearly impossible”.
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Guardiola greeted Mourinho with a handshake and a hug before kickoff. I was feeling [we would score again] until the last minute, like we did at Hull City.
