Saiyed Karim
Manchester United are scheduled to host Manchester City in the first Manchester derby of the season on Saturday.
The Red Devils have won their last four Premier League matches and that sees them in the sixth spot on the table, just five points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur with the game in hand.
However, they have had to work hard for recent victories. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side came from two goals behind at half-time to register a stunning 3-2 win at Southampton.
Similarly, they were completely outplayed in the opening half at West Ham United and were fortuitous to be just one goal down. They won 3-1 with another strong display after the interval.
The club eventually paid the price for their average defending in the Champions League on Tuesday night as RB Leipzig eliminated them from the competition at the Red Bull Arena, sending United to the Europa League.
United just needed a point from their final group stage game to qualify for the last 16, but the German outfit dominated the proceedings in the first half where they could have score more than twice.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side made it 3-0 in the 69th minute. United lodged a late fightback with two goals in the 80th and 82nd minute respectively, but they could not seal the unlikely comeback.
United are scheduled to host Manchester City in the derby at Old Trafford on Saturday and it will be a fascinating contest with the Cityzens coming off back-to-back league wins.
The Cityzens are currently placed seventh on the league table with a one-point deficit to United.
Key Stats:
The hosts beat the Cityzens in both Premier League meetings last term. It was the first time they did the league double over their arch-rivals since the 2009/10 season.
United’s league form has been poor at Old Trafford and they have picked up just four points from a possible 15 (one win, one draw and three defeats) this season.
Solskjaer’s side have been the comeback kings this term and they have picked up 15 points from losing positions. All of those have come away from home.
United have had an average home record in the Manchester derby when it comes to the league games. They have won just two of the previous nine encounters with six defeats.
Team News:
The latest Manchester United news suggests that Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial could be back in the mix for Saturday after they missed the midweek clash with what Solskjaer described as ‘minor’ knocks. There are no fresh injury concerns for them.
The visitors could be without Eric Garcia after he picked up a leg injury which forced him off the pitch against Marseille in midweek. Nathan Ake may be in contention for the derby after returning to training following a month-long lay-off with a hamstring problem.
Predicted Line-ups:
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles; Scott McTominay, Fred; Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Anthony Martial
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Benjamin Mendy; Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan; Riyad Mahrez, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling; Gabriel Jesus
Predicted Score:
United have struggled with their league form at Old Trafford and have picked up only 21 percent of their points (4 out of 19) this term. They will be motivated to impress in the derby, and while the Spurs result is still in the back of our minds, this United team has the capacity to rev up a couple of gears and pull out a win when needed.
Manchester United 2–1 Manchester City
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and Worldfootball.net
