Many sporting figures are defined by personal duels. Lionel Messi, for instance, is defined by his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, and vice versa. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s respective legends have been boosted by the many classic grudge matches they have contested over the years. Along the same lines, Jose Mourinho is defined by his rivalry with Pep Guardiola.
They are the two greatest football coaches of their generation. Both have set the zeitgeist for an era of the European game, both lifting the Champions League twice and winning league titles in difference countries over the course of their respective careers. Now, they find themselves in the same city, in charge of Manchester City and Manchester United. In a Western, they’d say the town isn’t bog enough for the two of them.
On Sunday, Guardiola and Mourinho will clash in the first Manchester derby of the season. It’s a fixture that will likely shape the Premier League title race, or more accurately shape whether we will witness a Premier League title race at all this season. A City win would put them 11 points clear at the top of the table, while a United victory would draw them to within five points of their yet undefeated rivals. A lot hinges on this game.
Mourinho, however, will find himself at a disadvantage. In Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly, the Manchester United boss will be missing two of his most integral players. Pogba, in particular, will be notable in his absence, with the Frenchman the only midfielder the Old Trafford side have capable of keeping City in check in the centre of the pitch. Without him, United might find themselves overrun, even with David Silva out for the Premier League pace-setters.
The former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid coach has always thrived on the big occasion, and in the contest of this season, the occasions don’t come much bigger than this. Mourinho needs a game plan, not just to stop a Manchester City side that have proved unstoppable in the Premier League so far this season, but to compensate for the absence of two of his most important players.
In the Premier League title race with the chance to close the gap this weekend.
40 games unbeaten at Old Trafford.
I don't think José Mourinho's doing such a bad job.
There have been signs in recent weeks that the Manchester City juggernaut is starting to slow, or at least opposition sides are beginning to establish a way to play against Guardiola’s side. Feyenoord, Huddersfield Town, Southampton, West Ham and Shakhtar Donetsk have all found a way to frustrate the Etihad Stadium outfit in recent weeks, with the latter even managing to inflict a first defeat of the season on them.
However, the Manchester City that arrives at Old Trafford this weekend will surely be a highly-motivated, highly-drilled and highly-dangerous side. Knowing Mourinho, he will have spent weeks, possibly even months, planning for this game. He probably didn’t account for the absence of Pogba, in particular, but this could be the culmination of a rivalry that has brewed ever since the Portuguese coach and his great Catalan adversary pitched up in Manchester nearly 18 months ago.
Over the years, Mourinho has enjoyed a number of great victories over Guardiola. Who could forget the then Inter boss sprinting across the Camp Nou turf having dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League six years ago? Or the thrilling victory over the Catalans that effectively gave Real Madrid their first title win in a long, long time?
But given the circumstances, a win on Sunday could prove to be Mourinho’s greatest ever triumph over Guardiola. Manchester City are threatening to turn this season's title race into little more than a procession. As history has shown us before, there’s only one man who can stop Guardiola.
