“We stopped training after 10 minutes or so.”
Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that Manchester City spent just 10 minutes preparing to face Manchester United before last weekend’s convincing 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Pep Guardiola’s men dominated the tie, boasting 67% possession and 16 shots – while United managed just five shots in the one-sided tie, with only one coming on target.
City were ahead in the seventh minute when Eric Bailly scored an own goal, before they doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time after Bernardo Silva’s clever finish at the back post.
The derby defeat to City came less than two weeks after the Red Devils’ embarrassing 5-0 loss at the hands of Liverpool, with United winning just two games in their last seven fixtures.
On Thursday, Sky Blues midfielder De Bruyne revealed that the reigning Premier League champions ended their pre-United training session after just 10 minutes. He told the MidMid podcat:
“The day before a game we usually train tactically, based on how the opponent play. Before United, Pep said: ‘We don’t know how they are going to play. We shall see’. And we stopped training after 10 minutes of so.”
Guardiola – who is usually meticulous in his preparation – typically uses the final session before games to work on how to approach the match from a tactical point of view.
Kevin De Bruyne in @MidMid Podcast: "The day before a game we usually train tactically, based on how the opponent play. Before United, Pep said: 'We don't know how they are going to play. We shall see'. And we stopped training after 10 minutes of so."
— Kristof Terreur (@kristofterreur) November 11, 2021
However, the Spaniard did not feel that it was necessary against United. It proved to be a wise move.
“The day before a game we usually train tactically, based on how the opponent plays,” De Bruyne told the MidMid podcast.
“But before United, Pep said: ‘We don’t know how they are going to play. We shall see’. And we stopped training after 10 minutes or so.”
The Belgium star also explained how the City boss ‘didn’t know’ whether the Red Devils would play with three at the back, like they had been doing in recent weeks.
He added: “Often Pep knows how the opponent is going to play. This time he didn’t know, so he didn’t know what to do.
“We have done what we always do, but he didn’t know beforehand if they would play with five at the back, or with four, or with a diamond in the middle, or with three upfront.”
The Red Devils – who are six points behind City – are next in action when they travel to Watford on November 20, whereas Guardiola’s men host Everton on November 21.
Related links:
The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10
RELATED ARTICLES
MORE FROM Sports Joe
MORE FROM Sports Joe
