Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has warned his former club they will “get slapped” by rivals Manchester City if they repeat their latest drab Champions League showing.
United once again needed late heroics from Cristiano Ronaldo to rescue a result in Europe as the Portuguese’s stoppage time strike salvaged a 2-2 draw against Atalanta.
The similarities with United’s previous Champions League game were obvious, with a late comeback, completed by Ronaldo, earning a scarcely-deserved 3-2 win over the Italian side in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford last month.
After that fixture, Paul Scholes had claimed United would be “three or four-nil down” at half-time in the following weekend’s league clash with Liverpool were they to repeat the display.
That statement proved prescient as United were hammered 5-0 by Jurgen Klopp’s side and, speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand insisted a similar outcome could be on the cards in Saturday’s Manchester derby.
“”[If] they go out with that second half performance against City they get slapped again, three or four or five goals,” Ferdinand said.
“With a performance like that second half, and no [Raphael] Varane on Saturday, it has to be a worry,” Scholes agreed. “City will think they have a good chance of winning, and with no Varane it makes it more difficult for United. Concentration is key, but United do always create chances.”
