The stage is set for the 194th Manchester derby as Manchester United faces off against Manchester City in the 2024 Community Shield at Wembley Stadium today. This match, which serves as the traditional curtain-raiser for the Premier League season, kicks off at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast live on DStv and Gotv.
Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, and Manchester United, the 2023/24 FA Cup winners, are set to rekindle their fierce rivalry in what promises to be an intense encounter. Despite City’s dominance in recent seasons, with four Premier League titles in the last five years, the Manchester derby has remained a closely contested affair. In the last 46 derbies, City has won 22, United has claimed victory 20 times, and four matches have ended in draws.
City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, who has enjoyed an impressive eight-year tenure, winning the league six times, will be looking to improve his less-than-stellar record in the Community Shield, where he has won just two out of five appearances. His team will be keen to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment, where they lost the Community Shield to Arsenal at Wembley.
Team News:
- Manchester United: United heads into the match with several injury concerns. New signing Leny Yoro is out for three months with a foot injury, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka was withdrawn during the last friendly due to an injury. Harry Maguire is still recovering from an issue that kept him out of Euro 2024, Jonny Evans is battling illness, and both Victor Lindelof and Rasmus Hojlund are also sidelined with injuries. Despite these setbacks, manager Erik Ten Hag has emphasized the importance of winning the trophy but stated that no unfit players will be risked.
- Manchester City: In contrast, City has no major injury concerns. Key players like Erling Haaland, Rodri, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden are all expected to feature in today’s match.
With both teams eager to claim the first silverware of the season, today’s Manchester derby at Wembley promises to be an electrifying encounter.