Man Utd Not Afraid of City’s Dominance, Says Dalot 

Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 19, 2024 Manchester United's Diogo Dalot celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 19, 2024 Manchester United's Diogo Dalot celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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Man Utd Not Afraid of City’s Dominance, Says Dalot 

Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 19, 2024 Manchester United's Diogo Dalot celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 19, 2024 Manchester United's Diogo Dalot celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Manchester United are not afraid of Manchester City's dominance and will leverage their underdog status in their bid to lift the FA Cup, defender Diogo Dalot said ahead of Saturday's final at Wembley.

Local rivals City and United have had contrasting seasons, with City being crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time in a row and United ending their campaign in eighth place, their worst-ever finish of the Premier League era.

"City dominated so much the last few years, they created this fear factor," Dalot told the Mirror in an interview published on Thursday.

"But when you're playing United against City, I don't believe they come in with the idea that we fear them. They know that we're going to want to win that game, so they're going to be at their best level - and we have to be at our best level."

United have one victory in their last five FA Cup final appearances, a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in extra time in 2016. They were beaten 2-1 by City in last year's final.

Asked about City being the favorites in the final, Dalot said: "For me personally, it gives me more energy. You shouldn't be the underdog when you're at Manchester United.

"We want to be the team in the future that everyone thinks is going to win automatically."



Lewandowski Scores 7th Goal to Give Barcelona 7th Straight Win in Spanish league

25 September 2024, Spain, Brcelona: Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Spanish Division Primera soccer match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Gerard Franco/DAX via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
25 September 2024, Spain, Brcelona: Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Spanish Division Primera soccer match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Gerard Franco/DAX via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Lewandowski Scores 7th Goal to Give Barcelona 7th Straight Win in Spanish league

25 September 2024, Spain, Brcelona: Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Spanish Division Primera soccer match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Gerard Franco/DAX via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
25 September 2024, Spain, Brcelona: Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Spanish Division Primera soccer match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Gerard Franco/DAX via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

With Robert Lewandowski on target again, Barcelona extended its perfect start to the Spanish league season.
Lewandowski scored his seventh goal in as many matches and Barcelona won its seventh in a row in the league by defeating Getafe 1-0 at home on Wednesday.
The triumph gives Barcelona its second-best league start ever, equaling the seven victories it also earned at the start of the 2017-18 season. The Catalan club won eight straight to start the 2013-14 season, The Associated Press reported.
“I'm really proud about my team. They fight 90 minutes or 95 minutes," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “But also I'm very proud because the fans they realized that we needed them and they give everything. It's a good connection at the moment and I'm really happy about that.”
Barcelona has outscored its opponents 23-5 in its first seven games this season. It has a four-point lead over defending champion Real Madrid, which on Tuesday beat Alaves 3-2.
Lewandowski got his league-leading seventh goal from close range in the 19th minute. He picked up a loose ball inside the area after Getafe goalkeeper David Soria couldn't hold on to a high cross into the area.
The Poland striker, who had scored twice in a 5-1 rout of Villarreal on Sunday, was replaced by Pedri in the 77th.
Lewandowski's goal was Barcelona's 6,500 in 3,035 league matches, according to the club.
Iñaki Peña started in goal in place of Marc-André ter Stegen, who sustained a serious knee injury in the team's previous league match.
Barcelona players entered the field with a T-shirt with words of support for Ter Stegen, who is one of the team's captains.
Getafe, which nearly equalized with Borja Mayoral from close range in stoppage time, remains winless and in second-to-last place.
“That was a big scare, but the ball didn't goal in and we left with the three points,” Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde said.
Also Wednesday, Girona and Rayo Vallecano drew 0-0 in Girona.
Barcelona plays at Osasuna on Saturday. It then visits Alaves the following weekend.