Saturday 10th September 2016 Kickoff: 1230hrs
Manchester United v Manchester City
Football – England – Premier League
Despite only less than a month into the new season, Saturday sees on the of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures as the two Manchester clubs come head to head. As well as being the standard derby clash which is enough importance and meaning for the two sets of supporters, it also brings together arguably the two highest profile managers in the world in Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. The two are not strangers of course having both coached in Spain where Guardiola’s Barcelona usually had the edge against the Mourinho managed Real Madrid. They renew acquaintances once again on Saturday as City travel to Old Trafford with both teams 100% start to the season on the line.
Mourinho made no secret of his desire to take over at United and be finally got his chance during the summer with the challenge of getting the Red Devils back challenging, and winning, the title. Their start to the season has been an impressive one and United are already looking like a Mourinho type team. Three straight wins against Bournemouth, Southampton and Hull is exactly what the club needed to get over the disappointment of last season when they missed out on the top four and playing in the Champions League. The manner of their wins over Bournemouth and Southampton was impressive as they dominated from start to finish and were in full control, paving the way for comfortable successes. United were on top for the vast majority of the game against Hull too but were kept at bay until added time. Marcus Rashford’s winner could well be a sign of things to come this season as it was a throwback to so many games under Sir Alex Ferguson when they would win games late on.
City too have enjoyed a good start to the season with three wins from as many games in the Premier League and also easing into the group stages of the Champions League. Their last game before the recent international break was a 3-1 win at home to West Ham in what was a relatively routine success despite only scoring the clinching goal in the last couple of minutes. The win came at a cost, however, as Sergio Aguero threw a reckless elbow in the second half which led to him being given a three match ban following the use of tv evidence after the game. That ban begins immediately meaning be will be absent for the trip to Old Trafford and that is a massive blow. Despite City stockpiling a plethora of attacking midfielders and wide players, there are not many options to play in the lone striking role. Kelechi Iheanacho is the most obvious replacement but you would not put it past Guardiola to play somebody in a more withdrawn role. Whoever plays furthest forward will have big shoes to fill, especially against an opponent whom Aguero has enjoyed great success against in the past.
With big games come big expectations and they can only be met with big characters and personalities. Unfortunately for United those characters have been somewhat lacking in recent seasons but the spending spree Mourinho has overseen since arriving has ensured that the big time players are once again back at Old Trafford. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are world class talents but they also possess an arrogance and swagger that the club itself has been missing, and they will have to come to the fore this weekend in the derby game, particularly as United are the home team and will be looking to assert their authority. In addition to the players, the arrival of Mourinho brings with it the biggest ego of the lot and the manager has already stated he feels this squad is capable of winning of the league.
City have already shown how devastating they can be going forward having scored four against Stoke and three last time out against the hammers. Guardiola’s men have hit teams with sudden bursts of flair and attacking intensity but they have not been able to sustain that for an entire game and remain very much a work in progress in the early days of the former Bayern Munich manager’s reign. Pep has opted to go with just one defensive midfielder in his first month in charge but he may see Saturday’s game as one where his team need to be more cautious in their approach. City also have Champions League duty during the week when facing off against Borussia Moenchengladbach and a draw at one of their biggest rivals may not be the worst result going into the start of their European campaign.
Manchester United v Manchester City Betting Tips
The two derbies last season were pretty forgettable as the team’s played out a goalless draw at Old Trafford before a solitary goal from teenage sensation Marcus Rashford earned the spoils at the Etihad. We can only hope that the rivalry will be better this term and there’s plenty of reason why it should considering the arrivals at both during the summer – particularly both managers. There was plenty of controversy when the two clashed in Spain and whilst Guardiola has attempted to play down their own battle, it probably won’t take much to see some sparks on the sidelines as well as on the pitch itself.
The absence of Aguero is huge for the visitors, not only is he their best goalscorer but his influence on the team in general should not be underestimated. He’s deservedly serving a ban, however, and it will be a test of some of the other big players such as David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne who have flattered to deceive in the big games over the last season. We know Mourinho’s preference is to keep it tight against fellow title challengers but the atmosphere in this one could see it explode and I would not be at all surprised if we see some goals. Neither team would be disappointed with the draw but they will both be trying to win it from the off and both teams to score looks a solid pick whilst a smaller play on 1-1 is also of interest.
Both teams to score 10/11 @ William Hill
