Manchester United vs Manchester City Preview

By Guest writer, Thu 12 January 2023 12:32


Manchester United vs Manchester City PreviewPrediction, how to watch & Potential line-ups 

Manchester United will welcome Manchester City to Old Trafford in a blockbuster Premier League clash on Saturday. Fans looking to bet on the Manchester derby can use this Virgin Bet welcome offer to back City for a 2-1 away win – the visitors are the bookmakers’ favourites so betting on the correct score offers the most value.

The Red Devils have been enjoying an excellent run of form. They have won all their matches since the resumption of the season after the 2022 World Cup.

Erik ten Hag’s side stretched their winning run to six matches in all competitions last week when they sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Casemiro opened the scoring with an excellent volley before Luke Shaw doubled the lead by sweeping home an Alejandro Garnacho cut-back in the second-half.

Marcus Rashford also earned his name on the scoresheet as United registered an easy win to be level on points with Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, Manchester City showed a good reaction after they dropped points in the home game against Everton last month.

They edged past Chelsea with a 1-0 victory to maintain their title race with Arsenal.

The Citizens struggled to break the deadlock in the first-half before Pep Guardiola’s two substitutes, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, combined to score the decisive goal in the 63rd minute.

Graham Potter’s side then suffered another humiliation at the hands of City in the FA Cup. Guardiola’s men completely destroyed their opponents with Mahrez earning a brace to help his side win 4-0.

Match Preview

Manchester United

The Erik ten Hag revolution is gathering a head of steam as United are consistently picking up positive results. The mood around Old Trafford is very cheerful as the Red Devils’ top-four hopes are looking very good and they are still alive in the FA Cup and EFL Cup as well as the Europa League.

Manchester United have won all their games since the 2022 World Cup concluded in Qatar. They have also kept an incredible five clean sheets in their previous six matches, conceding only a single goal.  

Manchester City

Manchester City have one of the best squads in the world, with the English giants boasting plenty of talent for all their positions.

However, they succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Southampton in their latest Carabao Cup match. The Citizens made a poor start to the game as they fell behind early with Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo scoring in the first-half.

Pep Guardiola tried to make a comeback by introducing Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne after the interval but Southampton held out for an excellent victory.

Manchester United vs Manchester City Potential line-ups

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Eriksen, Casemiro; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Akanji, Cancelo; Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne; Silva, Haaland, Foden

Match Prediction

United look to be the more confident side ahead of the Manchester derby as they have been impeccable since the Premier League re-start in December. However, City have won their previous three meetings with the Red Devils.

Erik ten Hag’s men endured a disappointing 6-3 loss the last time they travelled to the Etihad Stadium in October. Revenge will be on their mind when they host the Citizens on Saturday. It is expected to be a close game but we believe that City’s superiou quality and Guardiola’s tactical nous will ultimately prevail.

Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City