Match details: The Community Shield kicks off at 16:00 BST (11pm in Malaysia) on Sunday, with the match being broadcast live.
Setting the scene: The visit to Wembley pits FA Cup holders United against Premier League champions Leicester City in the traditional start-of-season showpiece. The Reds' 2-1 triumph against Crystal Palace back in May will still be fresh in the minds of the players as the trip to the capital provides them with their first competitive fixture of the 2016/17 season. The Community Shield is also a first opportunity for Jose Mourinho to get his hands on some silverware as United manager.
Strong opposition: Jose Mourinho will be expecting a tough test against the Foxes on Sunday and Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri promised “I will choose my best XI" after a pre-season defeat to Barcelona in the International Champions Cup.
Last meeting: Both encounters with Leicester ended in a 1-1 draw last season, including an exciting end-to-end game in front of a full Old Trafford in early May, as the visitors looked to wrap up the league title. The Foxes came from behind in that game, captain Wes Morgan’s headed goal cancelling out a strike from Anthony Martial. One point rather than three means the Foxes had to postpone their title celebrations, although they joined United in the history books as Premier League winners just a day later, after rivals Spurs also drew, with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Story of their season: 2015/16 could not have been a bigger contrast to Leicester’s previous campaign. Having executed a miraculous escape from relegation in 2014/15, they parted ways with boss Nigel Person and were tipped as one of the favourites for the drop. Instead, the incoming manager Claudio Ranieri and the fans at the King Power instead began a journey to dreamland and the rest is history.
Opposition manager: Claudio Ranieri is one of the most experienced coaches in the league, having been in management for 30 years, including a stint in charge of Chelsea before Mourinho succeeded him and a spell as an international boss with Greece. The charismatic Italian is a man of great passion, something which was evident during his entertaining press conferences and also his emotional response during the club’s title-winning celebrations.
Who’s their star man? With such a display of team unity, there were many choices for Leicester’s star man, but it’s impossible to ignore the talent of Jamie Vardy. Last season the England international broke the record held by former Reds striker Ruud van Nistelrooy for scoring in consecutive Premier League matches, a run spanning a staggering 11 games. In all Vardy netted 24 times last season, with only fellow England striker Harry Kane scoring more.
Did you know? United have won the Community Shield 20 times, five more than any other team (Liverpool having the next best tally with 15).
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment