Pep Guardiola has spoken highly of Manchester United ahead of the 190th instalment of the Manchester derby on Sunday.
The Red Devils reigned victorious in last season’s derby at Old Trafford, overturning City 2-1 in emphatic fashion back in January.
However, United did sustain a 6-3 defeat at the Etihad in the Premier League and in June, lost 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, so there’s undoubtedly some making up to do this term.
On the back of three consecutive wins, Erik ten Hag will know how pivotal a win on Sunday would be to his side’s confidence and momentum after a poor start to the campaign, which has seen them pick up six losses in all competitions.
Guardiola on United
However, Guardiola is still expecting a tightly-contested battle when the two rivals lock horns again this weekend. He said in his pre-match press conference: “So dangerous, United always have been, always had that feeling. It doesn’t matter the managers, I’ve faced a few since I’ve been here. So always is a tough, tough opponent.
“The quality of the individuals that they have, their stadium, the character, the momentum… they have the ability to be on top in 10-15 minutes, and they score goals. We know the quality they have, no doubt about that. Always have been [and] always will be.”
🗣 "We know the quality they have, no doubt about that."
Pep Guardiola on Man Utd's season so far pic.twitter.com/v9txjkw5Sc
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 27, 2023
Footage courtesy of Football Daily.
