Manchester Derby: Fame and Pride

In the past 5 seasons, the superiority of the blue half of Manchester has made the uncompromising derby between the two teams in the same city have not had much decisive meaning in the race for the championship of the highest tournament in the foggy country. If anything, the result of this derby only delays the coronation day of the Etihad team or creates an opportunity for Chelsea to step up to the championship.

However, the 178th derby at Old Trafford in the 31st round of the Premier League is getting hotter as it is considered the final match of the season. If Man City wins, they will have the opportunity to successfully defend the championship, something that no team has been able to do in the last 10 seasons.

Furthermore, Pep Guardiola's team also really wants to defeat their arch-neighbors to dispel the sadness of failure in the Champions League arena.

The Manchester derby is a turning point in the race for the Premier League title this season. Photo: AFP

On the contrary, if the Red Devils are the ones who "resound with triumph", they will cling to hope in the race for a place in the Top 4 when the season officially ends. More importantly, the Norwegian strategist's army will regain their self-respect after a series of recent bad matches.

To prepare for this fateful derby, Pep's team freed their mentality by defeating Tottenham with a minimum score to dispel the sadness of defeat against this opponent in the Champions League arena. They also showed their determination by knowing how to "fall down and get up again". Defeating Pochestino's team in the last round helped the Etihad team untie an important knot in the race for the championship with Liverpool.

On the other side of the front line, the Red Devils of Manchester are returning to their true selves after a series of poor performances in all competitions. From being the team with the most favorable chances in the Top 4 race after a series of successful matches under coach Solskjaer, they are now at a disadvantage compared to Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Before the important match against the "noisy neighbor", Man Utd suffered a crushing defeat with a score of 4-0 against Everton, thereby setting countless sad records in the Premier League era.

A defeat exposed all the weaknesses of the Red Devils of Manchester: an ineffective attack, a lack of creativity in midfield and a disastrous defense. They lacked a real leader on the field to lift the spirit of the Red Devils.

The big match between two teams from the same city is always dramatic and surprising. Photo: vietnamnet.vn

After that humiliating defeat, the Red Devils' pride was seriously damaged. Even a calm person like Gary Neville had to exclaim: "I watched Liverpool and Man City players play. They always work at full capacity in every match for their club. Everton ran more than 4km in the first half. And Liverpool, their players played as if they were ready to die for every inch of the field. What about the MU players? It was a shame to watch them play today."

The Norwegian strategist also could not hide his sadness and showed doubts about his students. He also followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Mourinho.

To boost morale for the reception of the blue half of Manchester, Solskjaer said: "We have to focus on the next two matches. We still have a chance to get the points we need to get into the top 4, so sometimes it sounds too easy to say but we have to hope."

Obviously, Solskjaer and his students really need to defeat the blue team of Manchester to regain the trust of the fans as well as the pride of the Red Devils. However, Pep's army also really needs a victory to consolidate the reputation of becoming the first team in a decade to successfully defend the crown in the highest tournament in the foggy country.

In the domestic arena, Man City and Liverpool are superior to the rest, they are in near-perfect form in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's team has won 14 of the last 15 matches, including 10 consecutive victories. Meanwhile, the Red Devils of Manchester are showing a miserable and miserable form since the strategist was officially appointed to the "hot seat" at Old Trafford. They have lost 6 of the last 8 matches.

There is one thing, every time the Red Devils' self-esteem reaches its lowest point, they rise up strongly. Therefore, in this Manchester derby at Old Trafford, fans have the right to dream of a fiery and eye-catching derby on the stage of the "Theatre of Dreams", a match of fame and self-esteem.

The match will take place at 2:00 am tomorrow, April 25.

Van Cao