Jose Mourinho watched on in horror as Borussia Dortmund cut the Manchester United defence apart time and time again on Friday, showing clearly that the Portuguese is yet to fully inculcate his philosophy into the team. It does not get any easier for Manchester United as far as preseason is concerned, because next up for Mourinho's side is a mouthwatering clash with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
This marquee International Champions Cup match is in a bit of a danger of not even being played, due to the inclement weather currently in Beijing. However, the fans in China will hope the weather Gods relent in time to watch Part I of Mourinho vs Guardiola – Premier League.
While Manchester United have played two preseason matches so far – a win against Wigan and a thumping defeat to Dortmund – Manchester City have played just one, against Guardiola's former team Bayern Munich, which they lost 1-0.
While results don't matter in preseason – and Mourinho will espouse that theory even more after his team's poor show in Shanghai – with both managers being new to the team, it is essential for them to get their players working the way they want them to. Training sessions will help a lot in that matter, but Mourinho and Guardiola can gauge how a player responds in certain situations, the best, by playing matches, especially against top opposition.
Manchester United and Manchester City are both expected to be right up there when it comes to the Premier League title stakes in the new season, and maybe, this International Champions Cup encounter at the Bird's Nest Stadium will give us a glimpse of what is to come.
Mourinho has been pretty civil so far after taking over as the new Manchester United manager, but the Portuguese's mood is always dictated by results, and while the former Chelsea manager will not be too perturbed by the result on Monday – or, at least, he shouldn't be – it will be interesting to see just how the two managers react depending on how the match goes.
While Mourinho is familiar with the rigours of the Premier League, having had two stints as Chelsea manager, Guardiola is still figuring out the English game, and this match against his new team's Manchester rivals will act as a great precursor of what is to come, starting next month, in the most competitive league in Europe.
Manchester United vs Manchester City schedule: International Champions Cup.
Date: Monday, July 25.
Time: 7.30 p.m. local time (5 p.m. IST, 12.30 p.m. BST, 7.30 a.m. ET).
Venue: Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.
TV listings: India: Sony ESPN. UK: MUTV. USA: ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes. China: LeTV and Guangdong Sports. Australia: Optus Sport. Canada: TSN4 and TSN 5. Singapore: Starhub and Bein Sports. Middle East and North Africa: Bein Sports.
