Manchester City midfielder Rodri expects Manchester United to be “dangerous” as Erik ten Hag’s side seek revenge in a second consecutive FA Cup final derby on Saturday.
Ilkay Gundogan scored twice – including the fastest ever goal in the showpiece, after 13 seconds – as City beat United 2-1 in last season’s final to win the competition for a seventh time.
“I remember Gundo scoring that early goal last season, which gave us wings,” Rodri told City’s website. “It was a good way of starting a final but, at the end, we realised how tough it was. It was very close.
“It’s always going to be special against Man United in the final – for the people, for the city, for the atmosphere. We need to be at our best because we know they struggled a little bit in the table and they’re not [challenging] there, but in the final they are going to be dangerous.”
“Every final is special” 💬
Our Spanish midfielder shares his thoughts ahead of another #FACup final 💪 pic.twitter.com/2C9GrdxUxT
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 23, 2024
While City sealed the Premier League title on the final day of the campaign on Sunday, United ended a poor season by finishing 31 points below them in eighth.
United will enter the Uefa Europa League if they record an underdog victory but miss out entirely on European qualification if they are beaten.
They have lost six of the last seven encounters between the arch-rivals, including a 3-0 home defeat and 3-1 away loss in this season’s top flight.
Man City ‘expect best’ Man United
“We are going to expect the best version of Man United and will need our best version to beat them,” said Rodri.
“The lads have shown they are ready for every challenge – even more so when we are talking about a final.”
The Spain international scored the only goal of the game as City beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final a week after winning last season’s FA Cup.
Having been knocked out by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals this time around, Pep Guardiola’s players are aiming to claim a double for the second consecutive season by beating United.
The Red Devils have not won the competition since beating Crystal Palace after extra time at Wembley Stadium in 2015/16 final, although this is the third time they have reached the final since then.
