It’s Manchester Derby Weekend from Etihad Stadium in Manchester City! These two teams have played 184 times in all competitions with United winning 76 of them, losing 55, and tying 53. We have watched some great ones which change in a blink and have plenty of action. In the last couple Premier League meetings, United have played really well but City in other competitions have beaten United many times. The top 2 teams of the league go head to head on a late Sunday morning. Fans in these big games have such a delightful impact on the home team and make it tough for the away side but that won’t apply to this game as fans can’t come because of COVID-19 restrictions but it will still be a very enjoyable game.
Manchester United haven’t scored a goal since February 21st when Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty in the 75th minute which means they haven’t scored a goal in 2 Premier League games. Other teams are closing in on United so the Red Devils will have to make some magic to beat City who are playing magnificently right now. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team has to play better to stand a chance against City. The defense has to be polished because like I’ve said many times before, City take full advantage of their opponents mistakes. Pretty much the only way to stop City is scoring goals. No matter how good the other team’s defenses are, they will find a way to crack their shell so United needs to score, score, and score. They have plenty of players to produce goals but they are not as clinical in shooting now and have not generated enough chances. This game, they can’t let City take all the possession and attack but have to create their own too. United stand a chance against this team if they clean up themselves and can start scoring goals again.
One thing that I love about Pep Guardiola is that he rotates his players. His bench and lineup is so strong that he keeps on starting different players every game. This is also a very good strategy because then the players will be less fatigued and tired every game. Something that really impresses me is their defense. It is constantly rotated and has fresh legs every game which makes it much better. I hope Aguero, who has not been on their starting squad except for the game vs West Ham can produce shots on target and get back to his normal routine. He has missed tons of games with injury so it would be great if he could get back onto the playing pitch. I expected Manchester City would do well this season, but I did not imagine this dominance and tearing apart other teams. They have a lot to be proud of as they are on the road to their 2nd title in 3 years.
I believe Manchester United will win this derby 2-1. I am being very brave and bold with this prediction because I have faith in my team that they can surprise everyone in this big match. United perform well when they are least expected to and can beat the odds against them. This team is made up of speed and pace with players like Rashford, James, Greenwood, and Fernandes who all can use their pace to score goals. It can catch teams off guard which is one of the big reasons why United are so successful, (the other reason is penalties). I truly think United have the power to finally end City’s mind blowing winning streak and can prevent them from getting more points.
Can Manchester City secure another 3 points against their fellow rivals who are 4 miles away from them or will Ole Gunnar Solskjær grab a giant win for his whole team like he has done many times in his spectacular career? We will find out very soon from the home of the 2018 Premier League Champions.
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