It is the season curtain raiser today FA Cup winners Manchester United face off against shock Premier League champions Leicester City at the Wembley Stadium where they will be fighting for the Community Shield.
PREVIEW
The match will mark Jose Mourinho’s first game in charge as he looks to get his managerial stint at Old Trafford off to a winning start. With the objective to give his main players more minutes and also to begin with a win, he will look to roll out a strong starting line-up. Mourinho has not been satisfied with his pre-season preparation especially with the week in China when their match against Manchester City got cancelled. Manchester United’s pre-season campaign came to an end on Wednesday after they drew 0-0 with Everton at Old Trafford in Wayne Rooney’s testimonial match. Jose Mourinho’s men began pre-season with a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic, before losing 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund in China and beating Galatasaray 5-2 in Sweden.
Leicester City play their final fixture before kicking-off their 2016/17 Premier League campaign, as they head to Wembley Stadium to take on Manchester United. Having faced Oxford United, Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain and most recently Barcelona in pre-season, the Foxes now take on the winners of the 2016 FA Cup as the first silverware of the season comes up for grabs.
Leicester City were beaten 4-2 by Barcelona at Friends Arena in Stockholm in their last match, as Ahmed Musa opened his account for the Club with a brace. Sunday will be the first time since 2000 that City have made an appearance at Wembley and their first at the new 90,000-seater stadium, as they look to add a second Community Shield to their trophy cabinet, having won it back in 1971.
This match will be particularly vital for Leicester as they will look to get their belief back against a top-club having struggled defensively against the big-wigs they have faced over the summer.
MANAGER SPEAK
JOSE MOURINHO: “I think it will be a different season for them but they can cope with the situation. They have a new experience playing the Champions League which changes the profile of their season.”
CLAUDIO RANIERI: “I was satisfied. But now I am hungry. I want to eat something. I said: ‘I know you very well now. Forget what we have achieved; I want more.’ You can’t tell me: ‘This is my maximum.’ I want more than the maximum of last season.”
