Manchester United vs Manchester City: Defender doubtful for the home side
Manchester United will face Manchester City on Saturday in a crucial Premier League clash for both teams. After producing a strong run of form, United are firmly in the hunt for Champions League football. City head into the game five points behind leaders Arsenal and desperately need a win to keep their title hopes alive. […]
The post Manchester United vs Manchester City: Defender doubtful for the home side appeared first on Man Utd News.
Manchester United will face Manchester City on Saturday in a crucial Premier League clash for both teams.
After producing a strong run of form, United are firmly in the hunt for Champions League football.
City head into the game five points behind leaders Arsenal and desperately need a win to keep their title hopes alive.
The Red Devils have lost their last three games against City, most recently suffering a 6-3 defeat in October. They will be hoping for better luck this time around.
When and where will the game take place?
United will play their fourth consecutive game at Old Trafford when they host City at the weekend.
The Manchester derby is set to be played on Saturday lunchtime as the first Premier League game of the day.
Match Preview
Manchester United
United are steadily making progress under manager Erik ten Hag, advancing to the fourth round of the FA Cup and the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup over the past week.
They recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Bournemouth in their last Premier League match, courtesy of goals by Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford.
The latter is in the form of his life, scoring in each of United’s last six matches. He will be looking to continue that streak against their city rivals this weekend.
The home side could be without Diogo Dalot after the full-back suffered an injury against Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.
Manchester City
The defending champions have enjoyed a largely solid campaign but have occasionally struggled to deliver.
They picked up a 1-0 win over Chelsea in their last league outing before handing out a 4-0 thrashing to the Blues in the FA Cup three days later.
However, they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to struggling Southampton in their last game, ending their Carabao Cup run.
Pep Guardiola will now be looking for a response from his men when they play this weekend.
Players to watch – Martinez vs Haaland
Both managers carried out squad rotations in their midweek cup ties but should revert to a familiar XI this weekend.
Lisandro Martinez has been a regular for United since his arrival in the summer and has been near-faultless.
He made his first start for the Red Devils since his World Cup triumph with Argentina against Charlton last time out and should start the derby this weekend.
Erling Braut Haaland is perhaps the most lethal striker in the game at the moment and has broken multiple records since his move to City last summer.
The Norwegian is the league’s top scorer with 21 goals and will be looking to wreak havoc at Old Trafford after bagging a hat-trick in the reverse fixture.
Martinez struggled to impress at the Etihad Stadium and will be looking to redeem himself on Saturday.
Manchester United vs Manchester City Predicted XI
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Anthony Martial.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake; Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva; Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Erling Braut Haaland.
The post Manchester United vs Manchester City: Defender doubtful for the home side appeared first on Man Utd News.