MANCHESTER (SATSports) – Manchester United rescued a point against Atalanta in injury time, thanks to an incredible volley scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. The game finished 2-2, and it leaves United top of the group, but Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand are far from convinced by the team’s performance.
Scholes, who was incredibly on the money when he predicted that United would lose by four or five to Liverpool after the last game against Atalanta, said that Manchester City will be feeling confident going into this Saturday’s derby game.
He said: “I don’t want to say it again, but with a performance like that and no Raphael Varane, that’s a slight worry…
“City are a brilliant football team. It was always going to be difficult… Concentration is key against that team.”
Scholes also described the United performance as a “mess”.
Ferdinand agreed, insisting there was no “intensity” to United’s performance in the second half in particular.
He said: “If they go out with that second-half performance against City, they’ll get slapped again. Three, four or five.
“That showed a real lack of respect for the opposition. Being really fragmented and all over the place. They were slack and sloppy in situations with and without the ball.
“We looked it at one point and said ‘What formation are they playing?’ It was disarray, it was just hope…
“And again, it comes down to an individual moment of brilliant from that man Ronaldo. He saved them in that second half.”
United will take on City at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon at 12.30pm GMT, and it looks like they will play the game without Varane.
However, Eric Bailly came into the Starting XI and looked extremely impressive against Atalanta, and could be tasked with trying to keep the City attack out.
