Here’s our Manchester City Vs Manchester United preview, prediction, team news and predicted lineups ahead of Sunday’s massive Manchester derby at the Etihad.
Manchester City Vs Manchester United Preview
Both sides of Manchester have been suffering lately, with results going against City and United.
Pep Guardiola’s City side looked to have stopped the rot with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, only to draw 2-2 at Crystal Palace before a 2-0 loss in Turin to Juventus.
The Premier League champions now have just one win in their last 11 games in all competitions.
It’s the worst run of Pep’s managerial career and has seen City slip down to fourth in the Premier League and 22nd in the Champions League.
With European elimination a genuine possibility and qualification for next year’s competitions in jeopardy, City need results to change quickly.
They host a United side who have already lost their new manager bounce. Incoming boss Ruben Amorim warned of painful times before they found success, but the Red Devils have continued to disappoint since the Portuguese coach arrived.
They have won three of Amorim’s six games so far, but two of those were against lesser opponents in the Europa League.
On the domestic front, a 4-0 thrashing of Everton is United’s only win under the new manager. Back-to-back league defeats to Arsenal (2-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-2) have meant the honeymoon period is over for Amorim before it had really begun.
With three wins and three draws, United remain unbeaten in the Europa League and on course for automatic last-16 qualification.
But they are still 13th in the Premier League and eight points below rivals City. United will be hoping to repeat their FA Cup final performance which saw them overcome City at Wembley to lift the trophy last season.
A win would do wonders for both sides and their managers, but another defeat could quickly turn things sour.
The most miserable Manchester derby ever? 🌧️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/tLBfw6sk8o
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 13, 2024
Man City Vs Man United Team News
Rico Lewis is suspended for the hosts after his controversial sending off at Crystal Palace. All three of Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg) and Nathan Ake (thigh) are out until at least the new year, while Manuel Akanji (unspecified) and John Stones (foot) are not yet ready for a return.
Pep Guardiola’s squad is stretched very thin at the back, meaning he may call upon the academy. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey or Josh Wilson-Esbrand are likely to come in for the suspended Lewis.
In better news, midfielder Mateo Kovacic returned to the bench against Juventus and is fit for the weekend.
Aside from long-term absentee Luke Shaw, United are almost entirely healthy. Jonny Evans is the only major doubt for Sunday, giving Amorim plenty of options.
Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee could lose out after poor showings in midweek. Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund are all in contention for a return to the starting XI.
Manchester City Vs Manchester United Predicted Lineups
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol; De Bruyne, Kovacic; Silva, Foden, Nunes; Haaland
Man United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Manchester City F.C Vs Manchester United F.C Prediction
With City’s already leaky defence missing even more bodies, United will sense an opportunity. Both managers will be desperate for a derby day victory to lift fans’ spirits after some dreadful results.
But with neither side able to finish games off recently, we can see it ending all square.
An upside of City and United’s defensive issues is the likelihood of a high-scoring game, and we hope this one lives up to the pre-game hype.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Manchester United
