Manchester United vs Manchester City
Pep Guardiola takes Manchester City to Old Trafford on Saturday evening in a derby showdown not to be missed.
At sixth and seventh in the Premier League table, both Manchester United and City are handily placed to make an assault on the leading places, but the Sky Blues have the squad to last the distance; and they owe the Red Devils one (or two) after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team did the double over their neighbours last season.
The hosts would simply love to upset the odds again, in part to hamper City’s title ambitions, but mainly to find some inspiration for the rest of their season, having crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Talking Points
United can’t afford another slow start
The Red Devils have won their last four league games and have rocketed up the table to sixth place, but that run has masked a problem which has been evident at Old Trafford for some time. Solskjaer’s team has conceded the first goal in four games in a row. They fought back in spectacular fashion to win two Premier League games, but were found out by Paris St-Germain and Red Bull Leipzig, and are now heading for Europa League football again.
The Red Devils are firing up front, thanks mainly to two of Solskjaer’s most recent signings. Edinson Cavani already has three goals since his arrival in September, a stunning late double against Southampton to pull a win out of the fire, while United’s marquee signing from the beginning of the year continues to turn in world-class performances. Take a look at the Premier League 2020 highlights from the second half of last season and the opening ten games of this; one man has carried the team at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes is United’s most influential player by a distance, running the second half show away to West Ham last week as the Red Devils came back from a half time deficit to win 3-1.
But unless the United defence can run a tighter ship, sooner or later the league wins will dry up again. The centre back pairing of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire has been anything but convincing and they will need to find their best form on Saturday.
If they give the Sky Blues the first 45 minutes, then their visitors could be out of sight by the break.
Aguero back with a goal
Since limping off during a clash with Burnley in June, Sergio Aguero has been sadly missed by Manchester City fans, but he was back in action on Wednesday, coming on as a substitute in the Sky Blues’ 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille and, of course, he bagged a goal.
Alongside Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, and with service provided by Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, Aguero could start as part of a frightening front six. And, in sharp contrast to their opponents, the Sky Blues come into the game with a run of five consecutive clean sheets.
The latest Premier League 2020 betting odds make it a four-horse race this season, and it’s been a while since we could say that. Liverpool are marginal favourites at odds of 2.75, with Manchester City at 3.00 and both Chelsea and Spurs close behind with odds of 6.00.
With a game in hand City could close the gap to the top spot to three points, so a victory on Saturday would come in very handy.
History
In the 54 games played in the Premier League era United have won 29 to City’s 18 and there have been seven draws.
The Red Devils did the double last season, a 2-1 win in December derailed City’s title defence and a 2-0 win in March pretty much ended it. This is a chance for the Sky Blues to exact some revenge; but Guardiola won’t need to tell his players just how dangerous the Red Devils can be, and form can take a back seat in derby games.
Betting Tip
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Manchester United vs Manchester City | Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.01 |
| December 13, 01:30 (GMT+8) |
Here at SBOTOP the Red Devils are at 3.88 to win with City odds on at 1.75 and the draw at 3.73.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team upset the odds twice last year, and with Fernandes performing miracles week after week I wouldn’t rule it out again. But while the Red Devils have a soft spot in defence and some inconsistency further forward, the Sky Blues seem to be clicking through the gears in every part of the pitch.
The hosts could well be the first team to breach City’s defence since mid November, but I don’t think they’ll do it twice and I expect Guardiola to get the win he needs.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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