What: English Premier League
Who: Manchester United vs Manchester City
When: Monday 8th April, 2013, at 20:00 UK Time
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Manchester United’s Season Fizzles Out Early
A superb season promises a strange ending for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. They are out of the Champions League and now the FA Cup too, leaving them with just the Premier League to fight for. Or to put it another way, nothing to play for, having practically won the title already. Of course the league is never really over until it is mathematically done and dusted, but when being chased by a side who appear to have lost their appetite for the fight, Manchester United can start to relax.
Not that anyone will take their foot off the pedal for this game. Manchester United will have sore memories of the derby last season and are sure to want revenge for the 6-1 humiliation they suffered early in the 2011/12 campaign. One interesting side note to this clash will be whether Wayne Rooney plays. He has been left out in Manchester United’s last two really big games, against Chelsea and Real Madrid, and a third in a row would fuel growing rumours about his future.
Manchester United are 18 games unbeaten, have won their last seven and could yet set a Premier League points record, which gives them something to aim for in the final weeks of the season. Other than that, there is little left to do this campaign apart from give their noisy neighbours a beating.
Manchester City Hoping Lightning Strikes Twice
It could be that Roberto Mancini is simply trying to anger as many people as possible at the Etihad Stadium before he leaves in the summer. Whatever the reason, there are few members of his playing staff who Mancini has yet to publicly criticise, following last week’s attack on Vincent Kompany for opting to play for Belgium despite not making his comeback from injury for his club.
Manchester City nonetheless won 4-0 against Newcastle last week with Samir Nasri in unusually good form, but even that was reason for Mancini to proclaim that he wanted to punch the Frenchman. Nasri seems likely to be off this summer if the Citizens can find someone to take him, and a number of other players are also set for the exit door, including Edin Dzeko, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez.
The season may well rest on their FA Cup campaign, with the chance of silverware still open there, but Manchester City will need no motivation to pick themselves up for the visit to Manchester United. And Mancini has been in combative mood again ahead of the game, saying that their rivals’ 15 point advantage is not a fair reflection on the two sides. Manchester City will therefore be looking to show that whilst they may not win this title, they are still on a par with their city rivals. They will perhaps be enthused by the display at Old Trafford last year, when David Silva was in particularly impressive form. If they can conjure up another win at their bitter rivals, they can at least drag out Manchester United’s title parade and boost morale going into the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.
Recent form
Manchester United:
Manchester United 1-0 Reading (16/03; Premier League)
Sunderland 0-1 Manchester United (30/03; Premier League)
Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United (01/04; FA Cup)
Manchester City:
Manchester City 5-0 Barnsley (09/03; FA Cup)
Everton 2-0 Manchester City (10/03; Premier League)
Manchester City 4-0 Newcastle United (16/03; Premier League)
Key absences
Manchester United: Paul Scholes (doubt); Wayne Rooney (doubt); Nemanja Vidic (doubt); Jonny Evans (doubt); Darren Fletcher
Manchester City: Maicon; Micah Richards; Jack Rodwell
Players to watch
Manchester United – Michael Carrick: Carrick has been one of the Premier League’s most underrated performers, but his consistency is so important to the way Manchester United play. For a team whose playing mentality is about soaking up pressure and hitting teams quickly on the break, his ability to pass the ball forward quickly from deep is essential. And he has been doing that superbly well all season.
Manchester City – David Silva: The Spaniard has never found the same consistent form that he showed in the first half of last season. It was the diminutive playmaker’s dynamic passing and movement which pushed Manchester City forward on their blistering run of form that took them eventually to the title. When at his best he can dictate a game and is the only true playmaker on display here.
Match Prediction
Manchester United will want to embarrass their city rivals on their way to winning back the Premier League title, and particularly given what happened in this fixture last season. Ferguson’s tactics tend to be cautious in the biggest games, with a resolute defence set up so that Manchester United can draw the opposition onto them before launching lightning fast counter attacks.
Expect Manchester City to have plenty of the ball. Mancini’s men will squeeze the Red Devils high up the pitch and look to get the ball into Yaya Toure and Silva at every opportunity. Ferguson’s men will have to weather heavy pressure but with the pace of Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck they will cause major problems for the Citizens’ defence.
Neither of these sides have lost a game they have taken the lead in this season, so the first goal will be critical. But whilst Manchester City have kept more clean sheets than anyone else this season, Manchester United have not conceded for 627 minutes, almost seven matches. Do not expect this to match the goal fests of recent derbies, the last five of which have clocked up an average of 4.6 goals per game. The big difference between these sides this year has been motivation. Manchester City have plenty of firepower, but their players lack the same level of motivation that Manchester United’s have to fight for title after title. Expect that to be important in this game. Manchester City could well control it for long periods, but Manchester United’s habit of taking their chances and finding a way to win should give them the edge regardless. Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City.
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