Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions

-[That goal was satisfying!]

-[So thrilling! It's been a while since we saw Agüero burst through like that!]

-[The key was Tang Long single-handedly outplaying three Manchester United midfielders!]

-[Wow, two goals in 10 minutes, this could be a goal fest!]

-[Two goals in 10 minutes, at this rate, there'll be 18 goals after 90 minutes!]

-[Alright, you know math, so Manchester City 17:1 Manchester United. It's settled.]

Whether it was Van Gaal or Pellegrini, both were quite surprised by this start.

Scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes, such a fiery scene hadn't appeared in a Manchester Derby for years.

Generally, when two strong teams face off, they reserve their best moves, but unexpectedly, in just 10 minutes, both sides showed their prime tactics.

Whether it was De Bruyne's powerful long-range shooting from the edge of the penalty area, or the brilliant connection between Tang Long and Agüero, these represented their signature moves.

However, Van Gaal was obviously more confident, because his main striker Icardi hadn't yet unleashed his potential!

De Bruyne possesses powerful offensive prowess, which was highly valued by Manchester United when choosing between him and Tang Long;

But in Van Gaal's tactical deployment, only with De Bruyne and Icardi connecting can the Red Devils maximize their offensive firepower!

So Van Gaal was not content with just De Bruyne's brilliant performance.

He shouted at the goalless Icardi:

"Mauro, move more! Try to link up with Kevin!"

Icardi gave Van Gaal a thumbs up.

Although he hadn't been in England for long, Icardi had already learned the British gesture, which is the thumbs up to show agreement with the other's words and actions.

"Since you struck first, watch how I shut you up, noisy neighbors!" Icardi thought, gritting his teeth.

Manchester City and Manchester United were first and second on the Premier League standings respectively; this match was not only a Manchester Derby but also a top-of-the-league battle, indicating the Premier League title fight for the season.

With such descriptions, the world-famous match also attracted global viewers' attention.

Both experts traded two punches right from the start.

After that, the situation calmed a bit, and both sides tacitly chose to temporarily hold back and entered into a war of attrition.

After all, a 90-minute match is a marathon. The team that smiles until the referee blows the final whistle is the big winner!

Facing Manchester City, which had the highest average possession in a single Premier League match, Manchester United was not timid at all;

Instead of focusing on defensive counterattacks, they played assertively in possession on their home ground.

The three midfielders, Mata, Rooney, and De Bruyne, had excellent footwork.

The newcomer midfielder Schweinsteiger, nicknamed the Little Pig, who had won countless honors at Bayern and had extensive experience in big matches, could remain calm in such a great battle as the Manchester Derby.

These four players kept running in interchanges, pulling at Manchester United's defensive line;

Schweinsteiger would not hesitate to make forward runs whenever there was space, acting as a late oncoming offensive player.

And Manchester City was not to be outdone, as possession was always their strength; how could they let others sleep under their roof?

Whether at home or away, Manchester City played with a focus on themselves.

Sterling, Tang Long, Navas, with Tang Long as the core, constantly changed their triangular positioning.

Sterling was especially active in his runs and covered more ground than Navas;

just like the Earth revolves around the Sun, Sterling kept running around Tang Long!

The purpose of this was to disrupt Manchester City's defensive line and interfere with the defensive midfielder Schneiderlin, who was marking him.

Defensive midfielder Yaya Toure, although his mistake caused the early goal;

However, the experienced Côte d'Ivoire star quickly put it behind him, being one of the few tall players in Manchester City's front and midfield, he frequently used his physical advantage to win precious high balls for the team in the front field.

"Dear viewers, there's an astounding statistic in the match so far!"

"By the 30th minute of this match, Manchester United's possession reached a remarkable 48%!"

"That's right, I use the word 'remarkable' because facing Manchester City, such possession is indeed exaggerated."

"You must know that, up until now in the Premier League, Manchester City's average possession rate is an astonishing 59.1%, the highest among the 20 Premier League teams."

"However, at Manchester United's home, they only have 52% possession, much lower than average, which shows that Manchester United is the toughest opponent Manchester City has faced this season!"

The reason Van Gaal decided to go against the trend and forcibly control possession at home was because the Dutch veteran manager understood that once the game fell into Manchester City's rhythm, any Premier League powerhouse would only be at their mercy.

But even so, their possession was still lower than their opponent's.

Van Gaal understood that the key point was not among the midfield and front players!

Compared to Manchester City's, Manchester United's players were not much worse, and even stronger in some positions;

but the crucial difference was between the forward players!

Compared to Icardi, Agüero had a greater range and more delicate footwork, whether it was one-touch play or small space interchanges, Agüero was superior to Icardi.