When Manchester United last clashed with Manchester City, they suffered a humbling 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford and struggled throughout the contest. Gary Neville described the performance as 'a calm annihilation' after the match: "It was a mauling," he said: "City have just toyed with United and made them look ordinary."
This weekend, Ralf Rangnick will manage his first Manchester derby. He will take his United team to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, and he must learn from the mistakes made last time out to secure a positive result this time around.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge when the two sides last met in Novemberr and opted for a 3-5-2 system at the time. Pep Guardiola exploited it with great expertise, demonstrating a clear intent to pin back United's wing-backs, as shown in the image above.
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By fielding Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus high and wide on the flanks, the City boss ensured that Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw struggled to escape their own defensive third.
As a result of Guardiola's tactical ploy, vast spaces opened up to the sides of United's midfield bank of three, and those allowed Joao Cancelo in particular to essentially run the game.
The Portuguese defender played as a left-back on the day, and no player accumulated more touches on the ball during the bout. Each of City's two goals stemmed from his deliveries into the penalty box.
Cancelo played more progressive passes and passes into the box than any other player involved. This weekend, Rangnick must ensure that he's unable to have the same impact.
Since taking charge at Old Trafford, Rangnick has favoured 4-2-3-1 as his preferred system, although he hasn't yet faced top opposition.
He could explore the possibility of using a back-three system to remain defensively secure against City, but Cancelo's influence should be enough to push him towards a back four instead.
If the German coach sticks with 4-2-3-1, his right winger would have a platform to pressurise Cancelo on a regular basis. A player such as Jesse Lingard appears suited to the role, especially considering his willingness to work on the defensive side of the game.
Lingard played on the right of United's attack against Leeds two weeks ago. He could help to prevent Cancelo from running the game, while also offering a counter-attacking threat on the break.
It remains to be seen how Rangnick will organise his team for his first match against elite opposition but based on past events, keeping Cancelo quiet should rank near the top of his to-do list. His favoured 4-2-3-1 could be the answer.
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