Manchester United were at the receiving end of a mild 3-1 drubbing from Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The gulf in class between both sides was there for all to see, and with due respect to Paul Pogba, the injured France international wouldn’t have been able to stop the Noisy Neighbors from running riot had he featured.
David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho ran the middle for the hosts, and they proved too much for the trio of Nemanja Matic, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera to handle.
While the Red Devils were being outclassed and helpless as Pep Guardiola’s side were making 44 passes before scoring their third of the evening, former Manchester United transfer target William Carvalho was bossing the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets at the Camp Nou.
The Portugal international midfielder starred for Real Betis in the 4-3 victory over Barcelona, and not even Messi’s brace could save the hosts.
Carvalho moved from Sporting Lisbon to Betis during the summer transfer window on a five-year deal, and has been in inspired form since.
The 26-year-old provided his first assist of the campaign against the Catalans and was impressive both offensively and defensively as Barca lost at home after 42 games.
Such a box-to-box midfield masterclass was missing within the red shirts at the Etihad, and manager Jose Mourinho should have gone for his countryman, and not Fred, few months ago.
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