Eric Bailly beats Antonio Valencia in concentration challenge

Manchester United defenders Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia are both fighting for spots in the first team this week, but they had a very different battle on their hands today.

The duo were competing in a concentration challenge game where they had to keep a steady hand and not buzz the wire.

A short video of Bailly’s attempt was posted to Instagram, and the full video was posted to the Manchester United IGTV channel.  

Man United defender Eric Bailly is the picture of concentration as he plays the wire buzz game

Bailly’s slow and steady first attempt was impressive, as he buzzed the wire just once.

Valencia, who is often pacey on the pitch, seemed unable to keep his speed under control in the game as he rushed through his attempt and achieved an embarrassing 12 buzzes.  

In round two, Bailly started off strong, but a tricky final section took him up to a total of six buzzes. Valencia improved over his first attempt, but his total buzzes went up to 16.

Both defenders will be looking to feature in Manchester United’s Champions League opener against Young Boys on Wednesday. If concentration is factoring into Jose Mourinho’s selection decision, it appears Bailly certainly deserves a place in the team. 

Bailly was competing against fellow United defender Antonio Valencia, who wasn’t as good

Bailly joined United in 2016 for £30 million, but has never cemented himself in the first team. Mourinho even appeared to blame him for their loss at Brighton last month, and has only featured as a substitute since then. 

He’s currently competing with Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Victor Lindelof, and Phil Jones for a place. 

The Ivorian has been linked with both Tottenham and Arsenal, and one of those clubs could make a move for him in the January transfer window. 

Meanwhile, Antonio Valencia is much more likely to keep a spot in the team as Manchester United’s captain.

They face Young Boys in a Group H clash on Wednesday at 8pm BST.