The Community Shield signals the return of the Premier League. Last season’s champions face off against the FA Cup holders in the curtain raiser for the coming campaign. Sunday will therefore pit Leicester against Manchester United at Wembley as they meet for the first time since the 1-1 draw that eventually culminated in the Foxes title win. Since then, there has been plenty of change in personnel for both teams and ahead of Sunday’s encounter, WhoScored.com runs through four key battles to watch out for.
Marcin Wasilewski/Luis Hernandez vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic
When these two teams last met, there was a clash between Robert Huth and Marouane Fellaini. While not picked up by the officials, the pair received retrospective three-match bans after accepting their violent conduct charges. Unfortunately for Huth and Leicester, that ban continued into the season with the German centre-back ruled out of Sunday’s clash. In his place, Marcin Wasilewski is set to feature. The experienced Pole made only three top-flight starts last season, with Leicester conceding in each of the trio of matches. Ranieri is also able to call on summer arrival Luis Hernandez, who made more interceptions (140) than any other play in La Liga last season, but Wasilewski could get the nod given his experience in English football.
Nevertheless, whoever Ranieri plumps for at the heart of the defence, they will have their hands full when they face off against Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The powerhouse Swede netted 38 league goals last season, a return bettered only by Luis Suarez (40) in Europe’s top five leagues. Having netted four minutes into his first appearance in a United shirt in a 5-2 win over Turkish side Galatasaray, the 34-year-old striker comes into Sunday’s meeting with Leicester with confidence high. On his day, Ibrahimovic is one of the hardest strikers in football to deny and the Community Shield fixture could prove to be no different.
The absence of Huth is a big one for Leicester in their bid to land some early-season silverware. His experience and form would have made stopping Ibrahimovic all the more easier at Wembley at the weekend. It will only increase the onus on captain Wes Morgan to shut out the former PSG striker, who is as capable of adopting a physical approach as he is to dropping deeper to receive the ball. Should the Leicester defence keep Ibrahimovic at bay, United will face a much tougher task at landing victory but if the Swede is in the mood, he's nigh-on unstoppable.
Nampalys Mendy vs Morgan Schneiderlin
N’Golo Kante proved to perhaps be the signing of the season last summer when he joined from Caen. The Frenchman’s form for Leicester allowed for Ranieri to adopt a counter-attacking approach in the Foxes' title triumph, with Kante shielding the defence with ruthless efficiency. His performances for Leicester last term and France at Euro 2016 this summer convinced Chelsea to spend big on him during the off-season, with Leicester already having used the money set to be gained from his sale to bring in Nampalys Mendy from Nice. The two are different in style, in that Kante is more of a ball-winner, while Mendy favours to retain possession.
Indeed, Leicester’s summer arrival played the third most accurate passes (2717) in Europe’s top five leagues last season with a pass success rate of 92.1% ranking sixth in Ligue 1, moving to first when discounting PSG players. His signing hints at a different approach for Ranieri this coming campaign, with a more patient style of play perhaps in the offing. Mendy’s influence could be be vital on Sunday, as could the man tasked with cutting out the supply to Leicester’s attack. Morgan Schneiderlin struggled for regular game time under Louis van Gaal following his big money arrival from Southampton last summer, but could be granted a regular starting berth with Jose Mourinho at the helm.
The France international is the ideal holding midfielder for the the Portuguese manager having made more tackles and interceptions combined (770) than any other player in the last four Premier League seasons, but is as effective on the ball as he is off it. Van Gaal made a habit of dropping Schneiderlin for the so-called bigger games last season, but the Frenchman has the ability to nail down a regular starting spot under the new boss. A strong showing against Leicester would further endear the midfielder to his manager and if he can keep Mendy quiet in what is expected to be his first start in England, Schneiderlin has the potential to finally establish himself as a key man for United.
Riyad Mahrez vs Luke Shaw
Riyad Mahrez gained a better WhoScored rating (7.84) than any other player in England’s top tier last term. The Algeria international was simply superb for Leicester last season, playing a crucial role for Ranieri. Only teammate Jamie Vardy (30) was directly involved in more goals than Mahrez (28 - 17 goals, 11 assists) in the Premier League last season, further reinforcing his stunning impact for the Foxes. While rumours consistently link the 25-year-old with a move away from the King Power Stadium, Mahrez is still expected to start against United on Sunday.
If he starts on his favoured right flank, then Luke Shaw can anticipate a testing 90 minutes at left-back. Shaw sustained a broken leg in the Champions League last September, but has been working hard in pre-season to return to full fitness. On his day, the 21-year-old is one of the finest in his position in the country. Mourinho is a huge fan of the England international, showing an interest in signing him for Chelsea, and will have been positively beaming at the thought of working with Shaw this coming campaign on the back of his appointment.
Sunday will be a real test for Shaw, though. After a lack of competitive action, a meeting with Mahrez is very much a baptism of fire for the youngster. He’s vastly experienced in the top flight of English football for someone so young, but after almost 12 months’ out, Shaw couldn’t be facing a more dangerous wide threat. Mahrez completed more dribbles (131) than any other Premier League player last season and once he gains a head of steam, is one of the most difficult performers to stop. All in all, this match up could prove to be decisive at Wembley.
Christian Fuchs vs Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The battle on the opposite flank could also have an effect on the final outcome in the nation’s capital. Christian Fuchs swapped Germany for England last summer and rapidly established himself as a key man in Ranieri’s XI. His WhoScored rating (7.50) was enough to earn a spot in the Premier League team of the season as Fuchs became the first Austrian to win a Premier League winners’ medal since Alex Manninger in 1998. Blocking the most crosses (53) in England’s top tier last term, Fuchs’ willingness to put his body on the line helped him quickly earn admirers among the Leicester supporters.
He will be up against a familiar foe in the Community Shield, with Fuchs tasked with keeping summer signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan quiet. The Armenian gained a better WhoScored rating (7.90) than any other Bundesliga player last season, earning adulation across the continent, with United winning the race to secure his services from Borussia Dortmund. When on the ball and given space to manoeuvre, Mkhitaryan proved he is one of the most difficult players to deny in Europe, with 15 assists more than any other Bundesliga player last season.
80 successful dribbles also ranked among the top 10 players in Germany’s top tier last term, with Mkhitaryan boasting an effective end product to match his effectiveness on the ball. For Leicester, Fuchs must maintain his commendable defensive solidity in order to ensure Mkhitaryan’s influence is minimal and with 3.1 tackles and 3.1 interceptions per game last season, fans can be confident that the left-back can continue his good form in England. That isn’t to say his former Bundesliga counterpart won’t make an instant impact in England. Mkhitaryan is capable of producing a moment of magic in the blink of an eye and if left to his own devices, can help put the Leicester defence to the sword.
Who do you think will come out on top in Sunday's Community Shield showdown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
