(Manchester united News)
"If he gets hold of the ball and does what he can with it, then that works well for Arsenal. We have to keep a close eye on him and try to prevent him from creating openings with his passing as we know that every time he gets to run at you he can create danger.”
07/03/2015 09:00, Report by Mark Froggatt
Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester United and Arsenal is set to produce a 12th meeting between Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez, two giants of the modern game who are now plying their trade in England after years of success in Spain.
From their past clashes, Di Maria has earned five wins and scored twice while Sanchez has notched up four victories and two goals of his own. Although there is more than personal glory up for grabs at Old Trafford, the rivalry between the two South Americans provides another intriguing angle to a much-hyped tie that will be watched by millions of fans around the world.
It all began in August 2011 when Di Maria’s Real Madrid drew 2-2 with Sanchez's Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, the first of three meetings that season. The second produced a 3-1 win for the Catalans and the third a 2-1 win for Los Blancos, with Sanchez netting in each La Liga fixture.
The 2012/13 season included four more clashes between Angel and Alexis - three domestic matches yielded a draw and one victory apiece for Real and Barcelona, while Di Maria helped his national team Argentina to record a 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Sanchez's Chile. Sanchez then prevailed with Barcelona in the first two encounters of 2013/14, before Angel scored in Real's Copa Del Rey final victory.
Di Maria's first match against Sanchez on English soil arrived in November's 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium and they will meet again on Monday night with United's no.7 warning of his counterpart's many qualities.
Angel told ManUtd.com: "Sanchez is a player who has been in some great form this season and since he came to Arsenal he hasn't stopped scoring or creating goals. He's been tremendous and seems to be the key player for Arsenal. When he plays well, they seem to play well too. We've seen him in various games. If he gets hold of the ball and does what he can with it, then that works well for Arsenal. We have to keep a close eye on him and try to prevent him from creating openings with his passing as we know that every time he gets to run at you he can create danger."
