Manchester United 0 Manchester City 0: Juan Mata defends team's performance in drab derby draw
The Spanish midfielder claimed the team played 'at a good level' in his most recent blog
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Your support makes all the difference.Juan Mata has defended Manchester United’s performance during their sterile derby draw with Manchester City at Old Trafford in his latest blog.
The two rivals played out a drab 0-0 on Sunday afternoon which featured just two shots on target, one for each side, and painfully little action otherwise.
The Spanish playmaker started on the right-wing for Louis van Gaal’s side but his creative talents, nor any other player’s, could break down a pair of robust defences.
“Obviously, all of us were expecting something more from this game, both in football and in the score,” he wrote.
“Honestly, because we pushed more in the second half I think we were closer to the victory than City, but at the end it was one point for each team and both remain up there on the table.”
Mata described the problems he and his teammates encountered when attempting to forge chances during the 170th Manchester derby, one which has since been called the worst in recent memory.
“There was a lot of intensity on the pitch, but it wasn't easy to find spaces,” he explained. “It was a very tactical game with not many plays inside the box.
“As always, thanks to the support of our crowd we tried until the end with passion, but we couldn't make a goal. So as the saying goes, if you can't win, at least don't lose.
Following the match, Van Gaal praised his side’s concentration and work rate, claiming that they had been “unlucky” while Manuel Pellegrini’s team had rode their fortune.
Mata, similarly, praised his teammates’ performance in his blog and
“In my opinion the team competed at a good level. Everybody knows that they have very good players but we barely conceded chances to them,” he said.
“It was a shame not being able to win, but we must be positive and keep going, we are still in the main positions on the table.
“We hope [our supporters] can celebrate a victory in the return game, [they] deserve it.”
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