Raphael Varane on stopping Erling Haaland ahead of Manchester United vs Manchester City final
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane feels disturbing the connections in the Manchester City team is the best way to stop Erling Haaland.
The two Manchester rivals will go head to head in one of the biggest games of the season—the FA Cup final. On 3 June at Wembley Stadium, the Old Trafford side will look to add another title to their trophy cabinet and stop the Cityzens from completing a potential treble.
Haaland has been one of the key players in City’s success this season. Speaking via Manchester Evening News, Varane believes the build-up to the final pass needs to be stopped in order to hamper the Norwegian.
“As a defender, the connection, especially with De Bruyne [that Haaland has], that kind of pass is complicated to defend, so we try to cut that connection. We try to stop them earlier and not at the end because sometimes it’s too late. We know we have to be strong as a team.”
The former Borussia Dortmund star has taken the Premier League by storm since making a move to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2022. In the current campaign, the 22-year-old has broken multiple records and won the PL Golden Boot.
Kevin de Bruyne has formed an impressive partnership with Haaland. The Belgium international’s quality in the final third has seemingly amplified the Norwegian’s goalscoring prowess.
However, United have managed to stop them once. In the game against Pep Guardiola’s team in the league in January at home, the Red Devils were successful in mitigating the Sky Blues’ threat up front as we won 2-1.
This is a Raphaël Varane appreciation post ❤️🔴 pic.twitter.com/9t8Csc7suY
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) May 25, 2023
Varane played alongside Luke Shaw on that day. It remains to be seen whether the left-back will be paired with the French national once again for the final with Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines.
The former Real Madrid star has formed a solid partnership with the 2022 World Cup-winning Argentine. Hopefully, the 30-year-old will be able to lead the team from the back at Wembley.
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Varane is an experienced centre-back who has defended against some of the world’s best forwards. It would not be a surprise to see the French national nullify Haaland and help us beat City.
