From the moment Lukas' 2nd goal hit the net, the derby seemed to tilt entirely in City's direction.
United still tried to respond, still looked for those quick vertical passes into Amad and Mbeumo whenever they won possession, but every counterattack appeared to meet a blue wall before it could truly become dangerous. Khusanov was especially sharp on the right side of City's defence, reading almost every lofted pass toward Amad before it could drop into space, while Dias kept stepping forward at the right moments to squeeze Šeško out of the game.
On the opposite side, Gvardiol marshalled Mbeumo with quiet authority, matching his runs, forcing him backward, and refusing to let him turn into open grass. Behind all of it, Rodri looked like a player determined to remind everyone what City had been missing during his injury absence.
