MANCHESTER CITY EDS 1, MANCHESTER UNITED U21 0
Manchester City’s EDS side ensured that their United U21 rivals didn’t secure a 10-day double over them with a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium after losing by the same scoreline on February 11.
Ashley Smith-Brown scored the deserved winner after just 18 minutes of a game which City dominated.
Manuel Pellegrini declared that he would field a weakened team containing academy products at Chelsea in the FA Cup due to injuries to the senior squad and with a Champions League trip to Kiev in mind and, true to his word, City’s EDS side on Saturday had a number of notable missing names.
Kelechi Iheanacho, Bersant Celina, Brandon Barker, Aleix Garcia and Manu Garcia could well be getting some first team action against Chelsea tomorrow, but Pablo Maffeo was also a notable absentee at right back.
One player who did feature at the Etihad against United and had been in recent match day squads for the first team was Angelino, and he went on to have a great game against United.
City’s youngster’s repelled an early United attack in the 5th minute when Joe Rothwell’s corner found James Weir at the back post. The United captain’s shot was cleared off the line by Angelino.
Angelino, usually a full-back, was playing further up on the day and was instrumental in attack for City.
He laid off the ball for a Rodney Kongolo to have a shot, which was tipped away by Joel Pereira.
City were not to be denied, however, and underlined their first half dominance with an 18th minute low strike by Ashley Smith-Brown.
City could have doubled their lead after 27 minutes when Angelino’s cross was headed over by Isaac Buckley-Ricketts.
City continued their first half dominance with a high pressing game which frustrated the visiting United side who had Weir lectured for losing his temper with Kean Bryan.
United rallied in the second half, although City’s Sinan Bytyqi shot wide early in the second half.
The Reds’ best chance came early in the second half when Marcus Rashford’s shot was blocked and the rebound didn’t fall kindly for Will Keane.
And Weir didn’t connect with a flying header after Rashford floated a left wing cross invitingly.
United’s cutting edge was blunted after the withdrawl of Will Keane on 65 minutes, perhaps with the Reds’ Monday night FA Cup trip to Shrewsbury in mind.
Keane’s departure effectively ended the United resurgence and it was City who had the best chance in the late stages with substitute Lukas Nmecha’s shot going wide after Bytyqi had put him through.
And Bytyqi put Angelino through with another delightful ball in the 90th minute but the Spaniard blazed wide from an acute angle six yards out when a goal would have capped a fine performance on the day.