Enzo Maresca made the ideal halftime substitution that helped Manchester City beat Manchester United

Enzo Maresca made the ideal halftime substitution that helped Manchester City beat Manchester United Manchester City entered halftime of yesterday’s Manchester derby level nil-all with Manchester United. City were reduced to ten men when Phil Foden was sent off for kicking out at Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. Despite the game state that confronted his team, Enzo Maresca believed that City could leave Old Trafford with all three points. He made a bold halftime substitution when he replaced Rayan Cherki with Iliman Ndiaye to begin the second half. Maresca’s substitution worked to perfection as Iliman Ndiaye played a key role in Manchester City’s famous 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday. Enzo Maresca’s halftime substitution was a crucial factor in a famous Manchester win. With Manchester City down to ten men for the entirety of the second half, these conditions didn’t suit the strengths of Rayan Cherki. Cherki is a magician in possession, however his work out of possession wasn’t suited to what confronted Enzo Maresca’s side after halftime. Maresca decided to take off Cherki and bring on Iliman Ndiaye. It was a move that paid off handsomely for Manchester City as Ndiaye played a vital role in City’s triumph in yesterday’s Manchester derby. Iliman Ndiaye immediately made an impact for City once he came o  at halftime. He was a willing runner off the ball. Ndiaye tracked back defensively superbly well. As the statistics below show, the Senegalese international won back possession 9 times in the second half yesterday. In possession, Ndiaye was an outlet for his team. The ability of the Senegalese international to draw fouls gave the Manchester City players the opportunity to rest when required. Iliman Ndiaye was also an attacking threat. His combination play with Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland always kept Manchester United on their toes. Fittingly, Iliman Ndiaye played a key role in Erling Haaland’s match-winning goal. It was Ndiaye who won back possession from Manchester United in a dangerous position in the final third for Manchester City. He played the ball to Antoine Semenyo, who picked out Josko Gvardiol to supply the cross for Haaland to poke home at the back post. Ndiaye’s work rate created the goal and it was a reward that his industry and second half performance richly deserved. As Enzo Maresca explained after his team’s derby win, he never stopped believing that City could win and the introduction of Ndiaye was crucial. Fortune favours the brave. Enzo Maresca’s decision to bring on Iliman Ndiaye was a bold move and one that ultimately paid full dividends. The Manchester City manager deserves full credit for his halftime substitution. He also deserves credit for maintaining belief that his team could beat Manchester United despite the fact that they were down to ten men. Speaking after the match , Enzo Maresca explained why he made the move to take off Rayan Cherki and bring on Iliman Ndiaye. He said that his team needed a different type of attacking threat then what Cherki offers. Also, Ndiaye’s ability to track back and win fouls was vital at Old Trafford. Maresca explained: “ Rayan Cherki is a top player, but [in the second-half with 10 men] we needed something different. We needed a player that can win fouls, counter-attack, and the idea with Ili [Ndiaye] on one side, Antoine [Semenyo] on the other, and Erling [Haaland], when we have chance to attack, we need to attack! We cannot just defend! ” Enzo Maresca made the ideal substitution at halftime of yesterday’s Manchester derby. His decision to bring on Iliman Ndiaye for Rayan Cherki proved to be a masterstroke. Ndiaye had a profound impact on the second 45 minutes of City’s win over Manchester United. Ndiaye had his moment with the travelling City support after the final whistle. It was a fitting reward for his second half display as he fully vindicated Enzo Maresca’s bold halftime move.