The roars grew louder inside Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag addressed Manchester United fans from the middle of the field, reminding them of the role they have in protecting the club바카라™s greatest ever achievement.
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United take on Pep Guardiola's treble-chasing Manchester City in what promises to be a fiesty Manchester derby in the FA Cup final.
The roars grew louder inside Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag addressed Manchester United fans from the middle of the field, reminding them of the role they have in protecting the club바카라™s greatest ever achievement.
There was one game to go this season, the United manager told the baying crowd, and his players standing right in front of him were ready to give their all to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
바카라śWe count on you as well,바카라ť he said, pointing to the supporters, who by now were punching the air in defiance. 바카라śThey will give everything when you are at our backs, and I바카라™m sure we바카라™ve a really good chance to take the cup back to Old Trafford.바카라ť
As rallying cries go, it was pretty much pitch perfect from Ten Hag, who knows exactly what바카라™s at stake on Saturday in a local derby with widespread repercussions.
For United, this is about much more than capturing a second trophy of the season 바카라” after the English League Cup in February that ended the club바카라™s six-year title drought 바카라” to cap an encouraging first season under Ten Hag. It바카라™s also about preserving United바카라™s proud status as the only English team to have won the league-FA Cup-European Cup treble in the same season.
City, after all, is two wins from emulating that feat, having already clinched the Premier League title and booked its place in the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.
That United can ruin City바카라™s treble bid adds more spice to the first cup final between the rivals, which is taking place about 170 miles (270 kilometers) south of Manchester.
City starts as the undoubted favorite on the back of its stunning form since February that reeled in long-time leader Arsenal in the Premier League race and saw Bayern Munich and Real Madrid swept aside in the Champions League knockout stage.
Before a much-weakened team 바카라” featuring a bunch of youth players 바카라” lost at Brentford 1-0 in a league match with little riding on it last Sunday, City went on a 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions and won 20 of them. Along the way, Madrid was beaten 4-0, Bayern 3-0 and Arsenal 4-1. Back in October, City thrashed United 6-3.
All those games were at home, though, and City hasn바카라™t been quite so machine-like on the road. And that바카라™s not the only source of hope for United, which is seeking its 13th FA Cup title 바카라” with only Arsenal (14) having more.
City manager Pep Guardiola talks often of his players having 바카라śrhythm바카라ť but that might have been lost after he chose to rotate his lineups for the final two league games, with the title wrapped up. Before the loss at Brentford, City was possibly fortunate to come away from Brighton with a 1-1 draw.
Erling Haaland has 52 goals in all competitions in a stunning first season at City but it바카라™s just one goal in his last six games for the Norway striker.
Meanwhile, United won its final four matches in the league, conceding just two goals in that period. And in the last meeting between the teams, United won at Old Trafford 2-1 in January 바카라” albeit after a debatable equalizing goal from Marcus Rashford.
City is a different proposition four-and-a-half months on, though, and has more experience of these big, defining games than United in recent years. Guardiola certainly does 바카라” he is looking to claim the 34th trophy of his managerial career, and the 13th in his seven years at City.
That, of course, would set up City for a shot at standing shoulder to shoulder with United바카라™s class of 바카라™99.
바카라śI will start to think about the treble,바카라ť Guardiola said, 바카라śwhen I go to Istanbul with two titles in my pocket.바카라ť
INJURIES
United striker Anthony Martial will miss the final after sustaining a hamstring injury in the team바카라™s final league game of the season, the 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford is expected to start up front, with Jadon Sancho set to be on the left wing and possibly Bruno Fernandes on the right to allow United to field a sturdier central-midfield three, likely comprising of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and either Fred or Scott McTominay.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish missed City바카라™s final two league games because of minor injury issues, though Guardiola said he hoped the midfielders would be fit for the final.
City has no other injuries, with Nathan Ake playing 63 minutes against Brentford on his return from a hamstring problem.
PLANNING AHEAD
The engraver got a head start.
The word 바카라śManchester바카라ť has already been engraved on the trophy to highlight the unique nature of this final, the 142nd in the world바카라™s oldest knockout competition.
TRAVEL TROUBLE
There바카라™s set to be travel chaos around the final because of rail strikes that mean there will be no train services running between Manchester and London on Saturday.
The Football Association is providing 120 buses 바카라” 60 per team 바카라” to help transport fans of City and United to and from the match.