Manchester United must learn from Solskjaer tactics error to nullify big Man City threat

When Manchester United last clashed with Manchester City, they suffered a humbling 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford and struggled throughout the contest. Gary Neville described the performance as 'a calm annihilation' after the match: "It was a mauling," he said: "City have just toyed with United and made them look ordinary."

This weekend, Ralf Rangnick will manage his first Manchester derby. He will take his United team to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, and he must learn from the mistakes made last time out to secure a positive result this time around.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge when the two sides last met in Novemberr and opted for a 3-5-2 system at the time. Pep Guardiola exploited it with great expertise, demonstrating a clear intent to pin back United's wing-backs, as shown in the image above.

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By fielding Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus high and wide on the flanks, the City boss ensured that Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw struggled to escape their own defensive third.

As a result of Guardiola's tactical ploy, vast spaces opened up to the sides of United's midfield bank of three, and those allowed Joao Cancelo in particular to essentially run the game.

The Portuguese defender played as a left-back on the day, and no player accumulated more touches on the ball during the bout. Each of City's two goals stemmed from his deliveries into the penalty box.

Cancelo played more progressive passes and passes into the box than any other player involved. This weekend, Rangnick must ensure that he's unable to have the same impact.

Since taking charge at Old Trafford, Rangnick has favoured 4-2-3-1 as his preferred system, although he hasn't