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Sunday 14 September 2025 18:33
The Manchester derby ended in defeat as United were beaten 3-0 by City at the Etihad Stadium.
Ruben Amorim’s side fell behind when Phil Foden headed in Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 18th minute.
Although still well in with a shout at the interval, two second-half goals by Erling Haaland ensured familiar foes in this fixture inspired the Reds’ undoing, and there was no consolation effort towards the end, even if a number of chances came and went for the visitors on a difficult day.
Benjamin Sesko is denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma, but handball was called against him.
FIRST HALF – BEHIND AT THE BREAK
It seemed imperative for United to weather an early storm yet, with a matter of seconds on the clock, Haaland managed to get behind our defence to flash an effort across the face of Altay Bayindir’s goal.
Thankfully, this proved a rare lapse in the opening exchanges, and Benjamin Sesko mustered a shot on target in response, within three minutes, but debutant Gianluigi Donnarumma was equal to it. Bruno Fernandes and Noussair Mazraoui had inspired that particular move and United settled pretty well, only to go behind in the 18th minute.
Doku danced past Luke Shaw to get into the box and, although his initial cross was blocked by Manuel Ugarte, it rebounded into the winger’s path and he scooped the ball into the centre for an unmarked Foden to nod the opener past Bayindir.
The hosts gained the upper hand for a spell but Amorim’s men were able to cause them some alarm when Bryan Mbeumo ran onto an Ugarte through ball but finished wildly, with the offside flag raised in any case. A few minutes later, Mazraoui’s pass appeared to be chested down by Sesko, who forced a good save out of Donnarumma, although referee Anthony Taylor penalised the big Slovenian for handball.
Nico O’Reilly fired over the bar from the edge of the area but neither side was truly able to piece things together, as the first half drew to a close with City still in the ascendancy, in terms of the scoreline, if not perhaps the overall pattern of play.
SECOND HALF – REDS WELL BEATEN
Despite pushing from the restart, without troubling Donnarumma, there was a body blow in the 52nd minute when a throw-in on City’s left led to their second goal. Foden fed Doku and his pass allowed Haaland to muscle his way past Shaw and clip a finish past the advancing Bayindir to double the lead.
It had been the Blues’ first real attack of intent in the second half yet, three minutes later, only an incredible miss by Haaland prevented it from being 3-0. The Norway striker rounded Bayindir from a Doku pass but hit the far post with the goal gaping. Leny Yoro stopped Bayindir from collecting the rebound and it was a relief when Bernardo Silva smashed the loose ball off target.
Our brightest moment of the afternoon came when Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu’s left-wing cross was met flush on the volley by Mbeumo. The Cameroon international could not have done any more but Donnarumma’s world-class save, diving to his right to push the effort wide, had you sensing this was not going to be United’s day.
Harry Maguire came on for his 250th appearance for the Reds, along with Kobbie Mainoo, but, soon after forcing a save out of Bayindir, Haaland grabbed his second when granted the freedom of the United half. Maguire was put under real pressure by a backward pass and his ball forward was cut out by Bernardo, whose assist picked out Haaland running from his own half, and the Blues striker finished clinically.
Bryan Mbeumo offered United’s biggest threat throughout.
After Ugarte flashed wide, Tijjani Reijnders looked certain to make it four but, while dinking over Bayindir, the attempt drifted just wide, after he was released by Haaland.
A flurry of late chances should have at least reduced the deficit, but they were all spurned. Mbeumo’s strike beat Donnarumma but flew off target, and then August’s Player of the Month was unable to divert Amad’s driven centre goalwards. Substitute Casemiro similarly failed to get enough on a Fernandes drive, and appeared onside from the TV replays, while Dorgu scooped off target when well placed.
It all added up to a frustrating 90 minutes at the Etihad Stadium and a disappointing way to resume Premier League action.
Amad shows his disappointment near the end.
MATCH DETAILS
City: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri (Gonzalez 76), Silva (c) (Ake 88), Reijnders; Foden, Haaland (Bobb 88), Doku (Savinho 77).
Substitutes not used: Trafford, Lewis, Mfuni, Mukasa, Nunes.
Goalscorers: Foden 18, Haaland 53,68
United: Bayindir; Yoro (Maguire 62), De Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui (Mainoo 62), Ugarte (Casemiro 80), Fernandes (c), Dorgu; Amad, Mbeumo; Sesko (Zirkzee 80).
Substitutes not used: Heaton, Lammers, Fredricson, Heaven, Leon.
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Sunday 14 September 2025 18:33
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