The Manchester derby: United vs City

by Guilherme Neto

Manchester United Rooney vs Manchester City Yaya Touré

The fight for the title in the Barclays Premier League this season seems to a done deal by now, as Chelsea holds a 7-point advantage over Arsenal and still has 1 game in hands. But if the English league crown is most likely going to land on Stamford Bridge to José Mourinho and his men, the 2nd place is what we could call a true open race to the finish line.

Arsenal is currently leading that race, one point above Manchester United and two more than Manchester City. With 7 fixtures left for Barclays Premier League to come to an end, things are about to get even more interesting this weekend, with one of those epic clashes taking place at Old Trafford. United will host City in a decisive stage of the season and if Louis Van Gaal‘s men manage to win that game, Pellegrini will certainly be in deep trouble.

The two teams are clearly in opposite moments. In one hand, we see United still gaining confidence after having reached their 5th win in a row in the league, while on the other hand, Man City have lost their last 3 away games in the competition. What appeared to be a 2-horse race for the title a few months ago, has suddenly become an easy ride for Chelsea and really a messy contest for the second place.

Manchester United vs Manchester City wallpaper 2015

Nevertheless and despite the very different state of minds in each team’s football players, we can surely expect a tight game this Sunday afternoon. Manchester City players know this is probably the most important game of the season they have left, just like Manchester United players do. There will be a lot more than 3 points at stake in Old Trafford and it’s hard to predict who will prevail in a game where there’s such an intense rivalry attached to it.

Manchester United probable starting lineup:
De Gea; Blind, Rojo, Jones, Valencia; Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera; Young, Mata, Rooney.

Manchester City probable starting lineup:
Hart; Clichy, Mangala, Kompany, Zabaleta; Fernandinho, Yaya Touré, Silva, Milner; Bony, Sergio Aguero.

Sources: premierleague.com / espnfc.com / mcfc.co.uk