Izimisele ngokubuyisa izinduku iChelsea kuRed Devils
UFrank Lampard akaqalanga kahle njengoba umdlalo wokuqala ahlulwa kuwona. Wayebambe izintambo zokuqeqesha emveni kokuqashwa yiChelsea FC, Wabhabhadiswa yiManchester United (Red Devils) ngamagoli amane eqandeni. NgoMsombuluko la maqembu njengoba ezotholana phezulu emdlalweni we-English Premier League (EPL), lo mqeqeshi ubhekene nomqansa wokuthi akhe ukhonkolo weqembu elizombuyisela izinduku kuRed Devils emdlalweni ozobanjelwa eStamford Bridge. Lo mdlalo ungobaluleke kakhulu kuLampard kwazise iMan United iyizimbangi zakhe ezinkulu, ngisho nangezikhathi zakhe esadlala wayebazi ubukhulu balo mdlalo.
Umdlalo wala maqembu ebhekene ongasoze wakhohlwa, ayetholene kowamanqamu e-UEFA Champions League osekuwumlando manje ukuthi iRed Devils yawunqoba sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi. IMan United yize ibhedelwa izinto kodwa lo mdlalo izofuna ukuwunqoba noma yikanjani. Leli qembu kule sizini selidlale imidlalo engama-25, linamaphuzu angama-35 kanti lihlezi endaweni yesi-8 kulogi. Uma kungasongwa isizini ihlezi ikule ndawo ekuyo kosho ukuthi ngeke iwudlale umqhudelwano omkhulu emhlabeni i-UEFA Champions League. Lo mqhudelwano udlalwa amaqembu amane aphezulu kulogi.
IChelsea FC njengoba ihlezi endaweni yesine kulogi, nayo izofuna ukuwunqoba lo mdlalo ukuze izoqhubeka nokuzinza lapho ikhona kwazise amaqembu angaphezu kwayo alivule kakhulu igebe. ILeicester City isendaweni yesithathu ngamaphuzu angama-49, iManchester City kweyesibili ngamaphuzu angama-51 kube iLiverpool FC esesicongweni ngamaphuzu angama-73. IRed Devils eqeqeshwa u-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, izoya kulo mdlalo ngaphandle kukaMarcus Rashord, uPaul Pogba noScott McTominay abalimele. Ukaputeni weBlues (iChelsea FC), uCesar Azpilicueta, uxwayise iqembu lakhe ngalo mdlalo. “Isifiso sethu ngesikhathi kuqala le sizini kwakuwukuthi sifuna ukwenza kahle ikakhulukazi uma sidlala ekhaya kodwa izinto azenzekanga ngendlela njengoba singenzi kahle.
Umdlalo wethu neManchester United iwona okumele siwunqobe noma ikanjani ukuze kuzobuya ukuzethemba kuthina. Njengoba iligi singeke sisayinqoba nje, silwela ukuhlala kumaqembu amane aphezulu. Imidlalo yethu emithathu sizoyidlala ekhaya uma ngibala nalo wangoMsombuluko, mikhulu kakhulu kumele sijabulise abalandeli bethu ngokuyinqoba,” kusho u-Azpilicueta. Kule midlalo ebalwa yilo mdlali ngoweTottenham Hotspur ozoba ngoMgqibelo ozayo nozoba mhla zingama-22 okungowe-UEFA Champions League neBayern Munich. USolskjaer uthe uyathemba ukuthi umdlali abasanda kumusayinisa, uBruno Fernandes, uzokwenza izinto zenzeke. “Ungumdlali oseqophelweni eliphezulu. Indlela aziqeqesha ngayo uyatshengisa ukuthi mdala kule ndima. Uzosisiza kakhulu njengoba sisazodlala imidlalo emikhulu lapho ngibala neye-Europa League. Umdlalo wethu neChelsea uwumdlalo ongeke usho kalula ukuthi ngubani ozowunqoba njengoba umlando wawo ungadinge kuchazwa kakhulu. Silinyalelwe abadlali abaningi kodwa laba abakhona bazosinika into esiyifunayo,”