Summary: The Blues had their chances but they eventually went down 3-1 at Old Trafford. A great Trabelsi effort gave City hope but Ronaldo’s late goal and Corradi’s sending off right on 90 minutes gave the home side the win.
Team news: City were unchanged for the derby from the team that started against Watford, but Beasley reappeared on the bench.
The City contingent was in fine voice, and there was a welcome return for a sizeable number of inflatable bananas. It was a bright but chilly day at Old Trafford with the threat of rain from the heavy-looking clouds scudding by.
The Match
The game was just six minutes old when United took the lead. Distin slipped as he tried to intercept a Ronaldo cross and the ball fell right into the path of Rooney, who slid the ball past Weaver from close range.
Thatcher was booked for a foul on Ronaldo on 15 minutes, but City came close to equalising just a few minutes later. Corradi flicked on a cross and as the ball bounced up Micah Richards, coming in from the right, headed the ball just wide of the right hand post.
Weaver made a good block on 22 when Rooney blasted the ball in from outside the box, but a Samaras volley a minute later brought an even better save out of van der Sar.
The Greek striker had the next good chance on 35 minutes when van der Sar flapped at a deflected cross, but after having to make space to shoot Samaras’ effort was blocked and United cleared.
The Blues were making a good attempt to get back into the game as the half wore on, and Samaras put a shot on the turn just wide two minutes before the break, although Scholes on the line was there to block.
But with the half about to end, United doubled the lead. Rooney fed Heinze on the left of the area, and his deflected cross arrived with Louis Saha who was able to nip in front of Thatcher to slide the ball home from very close range.
City made a double substitution after half time. Nick Weaver had a dead leg from colliding with Saha as he scored, so Andreas Isaksson came on for his City debut. Stephen Ireland replaced Claudio Reyna, who had tweaked a hamstring.
The young Irishman nearly made an immediate impact, forcing van der Sar to push his curling left-footed shot away three minutes into the second half.
The other replacement was in action shortly after, making an excellent low save to thwart Rooney. Saha latched onto the rebound but put the ball into the stands from a few yards out.
City felt they had a shout for a penalty when an Ireland shot looked to have hit a red hand inside the box. Isaksson was in action again on 58 when he finger-tipped a Giggs drive over his bar.
The Swedish international made another good save on 66, diving low to his left to push a Rooney shot away. Even better was to come a minute later when he blocked Rooney again, but this time from just in front of his goal line as the striker tried to hook a Giggs cross in from inside the six yard box.
Ireland had looked good since coming on, and on 72 he set up Hatem Trabelsi to get City within touching distance of United. Ireland wriggled out of trouble near the corner flag to find the Tunisian, who exquisitely curled the ball in with his left from the edge of the box to make it 2-1. Trabelsi’s goal, which went in off the underside of the bar, was his first for City.
The home fans were anxious as City pressed for an equalizer, but with just over five minutes left United went 3-1 up. Rooney passed towards Ronaldo, and with Dunne unable to clear the Portuguese player could not fail to score from just a couple of yards out.
City ended the game with 10 men when Bernardo Corradi was showed his second yellow card on 90 minutes for diving, after receiving his first on the hour for use of an arm.
