Manchester United have not fared very well in Manchester derbies since suffering a horrifying 6-1 loss in 2011. They have performed slightly better at the Etihad than at Old Trafford over that span, winning two of the last seven and drawing one at the home of Manchester City.
Thus, one can easily understand why the red side of Manchester are substantial underdogs in this one. It’s a match that United will obviously be amped up for, as it’s not just a Manchester derby, but a potentially title clinching edition. If ever there was a must not lose game (not a must win per say, but a must get one point at least) it’s this one. City could realize a dream scenario, and clinch the title at home in front of the side that they hate most of all.
United meanwhile, could ruin all of that. Liverpool showed us last night how to beat City– you have to play the best defense is a good offense. You can’t sit back and invite pressure. Instead you have to go and attack, and expose their weaknesses in the back line. That’s obviously not what Jose Mourinho is known for; quite the opposite actually.
Well, let’s take a look at who Mourinho might select in his effort to put City’s inevitable party off another week.
Alexis Sanchez Romelu Lukaku Jesse Lingard
Paul Pogba Nemanja Matic Juan Mata
Ashley Young Eric Bailly Chris Smalling Antonio Valencia
David de Gea
On a side note, part of Kevin De Bruyne’s ballot for his PFA Team of the Year leaked and he selected two members of United- David de Gea and Antonio Valencia.
Manager Press Conference Videos: coming tomorrow
Injury Report: go to this link
City Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Odds via Bet365 City 17/20 United 3/1 Draw 13/5
Prediction: Man City 0, United 0
Mourinho will pull off one of his classic “park the bus” maneuver and thus delay the inevitable celebration until the next weekend.
As always, feel free to post to your own City and/or United starting XI predictions, as well as your score predictions, in the comments section below.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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