Manchester City vs Manchester United Preview
There was a time when the Manchester derby filled the blue half of Manchester with dread as City, for much of the last quarter of a century, lived in awe of United and it’s glories. That was Ferguson’s United, one of the truly glorious periods for a side in English football history. This is a United in transition, and fearing the worst against a team who have got the better of the Red Devils on five of the last six occasions the two big guns have clashed in the Premier League.
Both teams know that nothing but a win is enough to stay on the tails of Chelsea, who lead 3rd placed City by six points, and 8th placed United by 10 points. For United, the game comes hot on the heels of their high-octane, morale boosting draw with Chelsea as a late Robin van Persie equalizer denied the blues a win at Old Trafford. Louis van Gaal asked for at least three months for his ‘philosophy’ to get embedded in the mindset of the players as he attempted to rebuild the ageing, under-performing group from last season with fresh, young talent. A trip to the Etihad will be a test of United’s mettle and the ability of this Louis van Gaal team of rubbing shoulders with the best. It’s still early days into the van Gaal reign, but the match promises to be an indication of how far United have progressed with the new acquisitions.
Team News
Manchester City are relying more on a misplaced arrogance and the fear factor working at the Eithad than current form. Manuel Pellegrini’s side slumped at Upton Park last weekend before suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of Newcastle in the week. And while Pellegrini struggles to find the right attacking combination, it is in defence that City look suspect as new signing Eliaquim Mangala struggles to adapt to life in England. Meanwhile, United have to contend with a slew of defensive casualties as Phil Jones is now sidelined with shin splints, meaning Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo will take the field against City. Wayne Rooney’s return makes United stronger going forward, and makes it an intriguing battle of two of the world’s fiercest strikeforces.
David Silva limping off with a twisted knee on Wednesday and Samir Nasri only coming back from injury will mean United will have an advantage in terms of quality in forward areas, with Angel Di Maria expected to be the key link between back to front. The silky Argentine is one of the precious talents in world football at the moment and would look to continue his bright start to life in England with a win over the ‘noisy neighbors’. Expect goals in this one. Both defences have kept just two blanks each and with the attacking quality on display, the odds on a third remains highly unlikely. Manchester City are treading water at the moment. Armed with a misguiding confidence, Pellegrini’s side cannot expect to turn on form like a switch. United are no pushovers, and an upset is very much a possibility.
MATCH FACTS
- Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero have both scored four goals in five Barclays Premier League appearances against Manchester United.
- Manchester City have won five and lost just one of the last six Premier League Manchester derbies.
- Yaya Toure has scored in three of his last four Premier League appearances against Man Utd.
- Wayne Rooney has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances at the Etihad Stadium, including three in his last two games there.
- Rooney is the top scorer in Manchester derbies, both overall and in the Premier League – 11 in all comps and eight in the Premier League.
Match facts courtesy : Euro Sport
Predicted Line-ups:
Manchester City: 4-4-1-1 – Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Kompany, Clichy; Milner, Fernando, Toure, Nasri; Aguero; Dzeko.
Manchester United: 4-3-1-2 – De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Blind, Fellaini, Di Maria; Mata; Rooney, van Persie.
Prediction:
There will be goals in this one. You can take that to the bank. Both defences look shaky, and both attacking units have too much quality to fail to exploit the obvious weaknesses of their opponents. City aren’t the force they were last season, and United are a work in progress. I’m going for a Manchester United win in this one. 2-1 to the visitors, with Di Maria heavily involved.