Guardiola always wants to dominate the ball, of course, more so in big away games and even more so when his team are not especially strong. So everything points to lots of passes!
That was the plan last weekend at Bournemouth when he did not pick any wingers, but that probably had just as much to do with Bournemouth’s high pressing, which won’t be replicated by United.
Both teams are strong on the break, but Guardiola will see United’s threat in that regard and want to shut it down through ‘a thousand million passes’, which usually involves asking his team not to use their pace on the break.
As much as anything tactical, Guardiola also has to pick the players that are in any kind of form and that has been the bigger challenge for a lot of this season, considering the struggles of De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Bernardo, Kovacic, etc.
Manchester United vs Manchester City – discussing derby day vibes, tactics and fears
