Manchester City vs. Manchester United: Match Preview, What to expect, key players

Manchester United head to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the first Manchester derby of the season today.

It will be the first Premier League clash between United manager Ruben Amorim and his Man City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

Amorim faced Guardiola in the Champions League earlier this season. He recorded a 4-1 victory With Sporting CP against City.

United have lost their last two Premier League games and will be seeking to return to winning ways.

The Red Devils have had a poor start to the campaign. They are miles off table-toppers Liverpool and are struggling to keep pace with the top four.

Man City are also struggling. They trail Liverpool by nine points and are one point off the last Champions League qualification spot heading into the game.

Also read: Predicted Man Utd line-up vs Man City, four changes on the cards

Match Preview

Despite their form, Man City still head into the game as favourites. They are ahead of United in the standings, indicating they remain a superior side to the Red Devils.

They have just one loss in the last five meetings and have not lost in more than three years against them at the Etihad.

Amorim is still getting to know his players. He has expressed his satisfaction with the level of improvement, but he knows they are underdogs.

Amorim has close to a fully healthy squad for the game. Only Luke Shaw will miss the fixture.

By contrast, Guardiola will be without four players, including the suspended Rico Lewis.

What to expect

Man City remain the Premier League’s most dominant team. They have averaged 68.6 percent possession per game this season, the highest in the division.

As we have seen in the past derbies, City are likely to dominate the game while United try to hurt them in transition.

Amorim has admitted that his side are more dangerous in transition, and there is unlikely to be a departure from that in this fixture.

City have conceded 21 goals this season, three more than the Red Devils. There is a big propensity for both teams to score during the game.

Despite Man City’s recent dominance in this fixture, Man United have only failed to score once in the last five meetings against them.

Key players

Manchester City

Erling Braut Haaland: The Norwegian has bagged six goals and three assists in seven games against the Red Devils. He is one of Guardiola’s go-to players, which will not change for this game.

Kevin De Bruyne: The midfield maestro has been struggling with fitness, but he is available for selection for the game. When fit, he is still one of City’s most reliable players.

Manchester United

Amad Diallo: He was deployed as one of the two number 10s in the victory over Viktoria Plzen. It will be interesting to see where he plays. He is expected to play a key role for United in the game.

Noussair Mazraoui: The Moroccan defender has done brilliantly in his debut season. He has become one of their most reliable players, and Amorim will hope this continues today.

Prediction: Man City 1-2 Man Utd.

Stats from transfermarkt.com, 11v11.com. and fotmob.com

Article written by Henry Thornton .