สุดยอดๆๆๆ
Manchester City v Manchester United

Sunday August 19, 2007, 1.30pm
City of Manchester Stadium - Att:

Teams:

City: Schmeichel, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Johnson, Hamann, Petrov, Geovanni (Ball 73), Elano (Bianchi 63), Bojinov (Mpenza 6).

unused subs: Hart (GK), Onuoha

United: Van DerSar, Brown (O'Shea 72), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs (c), Hargreaves, Carrick (Campbell 73), Scholes, Nani (Eagles 58), Tevez.

unused subs: Kuszczak, Silvestre

Goals: 1-0 (Geovanni 31)

Bookings:

City: Hamann (55), Corluka (56)

United: Brown (33)

Referee: M Clattenburg

Pre Match news

City make two changes to the team that started this week's games - Stephen Ireland reported ill, so Geovanni plays. The Brazilian scored a memorable goal against United for Benfica to help knock the Reds out of Europe a few years ago. Valeri Bojinov is given the nod over Rolando Bianchi, who is on the bench alongside Michael Ball, back from the suspension picked up from the corresponding fixture last season.

For United, Owen Hargreaves made his full debut as replacement for the suspended Ronaldo.

The Match

Despite the ‘typical’ Manchester weather around, there was a real sense of anticipation around the ground before kick off. City received a standing ovation for coming in from their pre-match warm-up! Blues fans had brought along thousands of the scarves given away before May’s derby, and held aloft they were a fantastic sight in the seconds leading up to kick-off.

The first real action of the day came after five minutes when Nani found himself in space inside City’s box. The summer signing tried to stab the ball across Schmeichel but the young keeper made a smart save, and he was in exactly the right place to save the Brazilian’s follow up header.

Valeri Bojinov’s City debut ended all too early when he was carried off after six minutes. The Bulgarian striker landed awkwardly when challenging for a header by the touchline, and Emile Mpenza replaced him.

Schmeichel did well again on 16 minutes, diving low to his right to get behind a fierce left-footed effort from Nani.

Patrice Evra broke into the City area on 24 minutes, latching on to a back-heel from Nani, but the full back’s shot went a long way wide after both Schmeichel and Corluka pressurised him.

Michael Johnson tried his luck from long range on the half hour, but his shot flew well over Van Der Sar’s bar.

But a minute later City took the lead, and it was the Blues’ Brazilian connection that raised the roof. Elano’s deft side-footed pass found Geovanni in space, and the little midfielder took his time before unleashing a right-footed shot from 25 yards out that flew in just inside the post having taken a deflection off Vidic. It was his second goal for City, and the second of his career against United, a diving header for Benfica having helped put them out of the Champions League a couple of years ago.

Five minutes later the home fans were cheering a spell where the visitors could not get the ball off the Blues, shouts of ‘olé’ in the style made famous by Leeds in the 1970s ringing out.

But a nervy moment came on 37 minutes, the ball coming out from underneath Schmeichel but with Scholes bearing down, Micah Richards nipped in to clear at the last moment.

Nani went close with a shot from outside the area a minute before the break, the ball bouncing in front of Schmeichel and going a yard wide.

United nearly leveled two minutes into the second half when Vidic crashed a header from a Giggs corner onto the crossbar.

Micah Richards was on hand again to keep the score at 1-0 on 54 minutes, his last minute lunge inside the six yard box denying Tevez the chance to equalize.

Scholes wasted a good chance on the hour, firing over from inside the area, and seconds later Tevez’s slight touch to a Giggs cross went inches wide, substitute Chris Eagles just short of knocking it in.

Great work from Richard Dunne denied Eagles on 71 minutes after he raced into the area, Kasper Schmeichel blocking the shot after his skipper had harassed the United man.

mcfc.co.uk's Man of the Match: ...

Tim Oscroft