This season’s Manchester Derby has so much importance for both sides. The Red Devils need a win in order to keep the second place on the table secure. But, Guardiola’s boys want a win as that would mean winning the Premier League title. Obviously, the match simply got to be packed with excitements. But, if you wanna make it even more interesting by placing some bets, here’s something that can help – Manchester City vs. Manchester United match preview!
Manchester City
Imagine the smile on Man City fans if their team manages to win the Premier League title at their own stadium by beating their biggest rival, Manchester United. Actually, Manchester City manager already admitted that this is their plan. Claiming the title on Saturday would mean that the Citizens can move their focus entirely to the Champions League.
Speaking of the Champions League, Manchester City put a very poor performance earlier this week. They got absolutely thrashed by Liverpool, especially in the first half of the match. This match showed that Manchester City aren’t unbeatable. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp managed to find a way to beat them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Mourinho simply copied the same tactic.
What this means is that Guardiola will have to get his boys properly ready for this clash. They’re probably feeling down after the humiliating 3:0 defeat to Liverpool last Wednesday, so he’ll have to find a way to lift their spirit.
What gives Man City fans hope is that the match is played at the Etihad, the place where they’ve won 14 out of 15 Premier League matches this season. Furthermore, this is where they lost only once since December 2016.
Manchester United
For Jose Mourinho, not losing on Sunday evening is extremely important. It’s not only because it would ruin the party for Guardiola, who is known as someone Mourinho doesn’t fancy too much. It’s also because even a single point could mean a lot to the Red Devils in the battle for the 2nd spot on the Premier League table.
Right now, Manchester United have just 2 points than Liverpool who are breathing by their necks. The good news for the Red Devils is that Liverpool have played one match more, meaning that the gap can increase easily.
Another thing that’s giving Man United fans hope ahead of the derby is that they’ve been playing very well lately. In fact, they’ve won their previous four games in the Premier League, even though two of them were pretty difficult. I’m talking about the games against Chelsea and Liverpool, both of which Manchester United won with the score 2:1.
Team News
Manchester City absentees:
- Benjamin Mendy (injury)
- Sergio Aguero (doubtful)
Manchester United:
- Phil Jones (injury)
- Daley Blind (injury)
Possible Lineups
Manchester City
Ederson – Otamendi, Kompany, Walker, Danilo – Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne – Sterling, Sane, Gabriel Jesus
Manchester United:
De Gea – Smalling, Bailly, Valencia, Young – Herrera, Matic, McTominay – Rashford, Sánchez, Lukaku
Manchester City vs. Manchester United Match Prediction
Jose Mourinho, the good-old partybreaker, is ready to ruin the fun for Guardiola. I think we’re gonna see the trademark Mourinho bus in front of Manchester United goal on Saturday. The Red Devils are likely to defend with all they got, in the same manner as Liverpool did in the second half of the Champions League game with Man City.
But, do the Citizens have the quality to score even with the Mourinho bus parked in front of the goal? I think they might, especially because this game means so much to them. But, I don’t think they’ll be able to do it straight away. I think we’re gonna see them struggle a lot until very late in the game.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United Betting Tips
- Manchester City @1.95 (bet365)
- Under 3.5 Goals @1.40 (bwin)
- Half Time/Full Time X-1 @5.10 (Unibet)
- Correct Score 1:0 Manchester City @8.50 (bet365)