You couldn’t really write a more perfect script.
Ruben Amorim, the incoming Manchester United boss, gets his UK audition against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City. However, it’s a wounded City that will land in Lisbon, with Guardiola’s side losing back-to-back games.
United fans will be keen to catch a glimpse of the man who will be stood in the away dugout when the Red Devils travel to Ipswich Town on November 24 – and, who knows, a win could send their excitement stratospheric.
“The pattern is clear,” Guardiola said when asked about Amorim’s tactics ahead of their showdown on Tuesday evening.
“Movements in behind are so dangerous – the pace and the control. Good inside, good switch of players and movement. Winning the Portuguese leagues after 20 years and then doing it again shows how good the job he has done here.”
(Image: PA)
Amorim, himself, is wary of what a win over City could bring: “My focus is on winning the match for Sporting. The conclusions are not important for me because they could be erroneous: if we win tomorrow they will think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived.
“That will be very difficult. It could increase expectations, I don’t know what is better when I start my new adventure.”
He added: “Tomorrow I will learn a lot during the matches, one thing to watch on TV another is to see it live. When I go to Man Utd I will have a different idea, but I don’t know what I will find.”
(Image: Getty Images)
We can expect Amorim to field his usual 3-4-3, with inform Swedish hitman Viktor Gyokeres leading the line. However, all of Amorim’s tactics will have to deal with a City side that is like a poked bear.
“I know our standards,” Guardiola said. “We lost one game in the Premier League. Maybe we will lose against Brighton and Tottenham [next two league fixtures], but we lost one game and we are two points behind a top-class team in Liverpool.
“I know people expect us to win 38 games 5-0 and the Treble every season because this is our standards – but this will not happen.”