Manchester United moved into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup 2016/17 as Juan Mata’s 54th-minute strike was enough to seal victory in the Manchester Derby. After neither side found the target in the first half, United took the intensity up by a notch in the second half and deservedly went in front after Mata picked up the loose pieces following a suspected foul on fellow Spaniard Ander Herrera.
The result condemns Pep Guardiola to a sixth straight game without victory – his worst ever run as a manager.
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We analyse some of the talking points from the pre-quarterfinal tie at Old Trafford:
#1 Even first half on slippery Old Trafford surface
It was Pep Guardiola’s men who dominated proceedings early in the game, coming close through Kelechi Iheanacho, who couldn’t direct his header on target. As the half wore on, it was the home side which took the initiative and pressed hard against a compact City defence.
Marcus Rashford came close, but his shot was blocked. Deputy goalkeeper Willy Caballero did well to punch a dangerous Paul Pogba cross away. Both teams failed to muster a shot on target.
The players struggled to cope with a slippery Old Trafford surface, on a night where the temperatures dipped. The slippery surface resulted in a number of fouls, which reached double figures, and neither outfit was really able to gather any momentum during the opening half.
#2 Jesus Navas skins Luke Shaw throughout the game
The most fascinating battle of the game was taking place on the wing, where Jesus Navas – renowned for his raw pace – absolutely dominated over United left-back Luke Shaw. The 21-year old Shaw, who made his first start following a return from a calf injury, struggled to keep track of Navas the whole game as he was too easily beaten for pace on the flanks.
Navas’ pace allowed him to rifle past Shaw on multiple occasions and put crosses into the box. It was evident that Shaw was not back to cent percent fitness, but credit must be given to Navas for being industrious down the right wing.
#3 United blow the Citizens away in the second half
United looked the more purposeful side in the second half, seeming buoyed by the withdrawal of Vincent Kompany at half-time and coming out all guns blazing against their city rivals.
Marcus Rashford was slaloming past defenders for fun, while Paul Pogba expressed himself in midfield with his excellent distribution to set up United’s attacks. Moments after Pogba saw his shot well saved by Willy Caballero, United took the lead they deserved with a brilliant spell of play – an unmarshalled Juan Mata smashing a loose shot home after Ander Herrera appeared to be fouled while trying to shoot from a Zlatan Ibrahimovic pass.
It was the perfect reward for a positive mindset and set the tone for the rest of the game. United kept threatening to increase their lead, while City found goal-scoring chances few and far between.
#4 City’s academy graduates put in a good shift
While Jose Mourinho fielded a strong lineup, Pep Guardiola used this tie to rest his key players and provide an opportunity to his academy graduates to appear in the senior side.
19-year old right-back Pablo Maffeo showed a lot of intensity going up the field and made a successful tackle to prevent Marcus Rashford going clear on goal. Aleix Garcia moved the ball around in midfield well with the insurance of Fernando in defensive midfield and was even assigned with the responsibility of taking corners.
In-form Kelechi Iheanacho continuously used his pace to trouble United’s defence in the first half and should have scored in the second minute. Even in defeat, Guardiola has positives to take away thanks to the performance of his younger players.
#5 Marcos Rojo shines amidst heavy criticism
Injuries to Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones meant that Marcos Rojo started at centre-half for the derby. The Argentine, who has been suffering from a lack of form since the start of the season, shut up his critics – at least temporarily – with an excellent performance alongside Daley Blind.
He was seen constantly communicating with Blind throughout the game and got his man-marking absolutely spot-on while dealing with set-pieces. His defensive headers were confident and he offered no opportunity for the City attack to dominate the penalty area.
Post the initial period of Manchester City dominance, Rojo looked reasonably comfortable against the pace of Kelechi Iheanacho and the weaving runs of Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero late in the game. It was a display which suggested that the 26-year old is finding his feet once again as a United player under Mourinho.
