The Matchday 31 clash in the Premier League between Manchester United and Manchester City will take place on April 6 at Old Trafford. Manchester United vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Manchester United
The Red Devils suffered a 0-1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest in the last round, ending their four-match unbeaten run in the league (2 wins and 2 draws). The club is currently in 13th place in the standings and is not in contention for European competition spots, trailing the top six by 13 points. However, Ruben Amorim's side is not concerned about relegation either, maintaining a 17-point gap from the bottom three.
- A maximum of three goals were scored in 6 of Manchester United's last 8 Premier League games.
- The club has won only two first halves in their last 17 league matches (8 draws and 7 losses).
- The Red Devils have secured only two victories in their last eight home Premier League matches (1 draw and 5 losses).
Predicted lineup for Manchester United (3-4-2-1)
Andre Onana – Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui – Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dorgu, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte – Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho – Joshua Zirkzee.
Manchester City
Even without Erling Haaland, the Citizens managed to defeat Leicester 2-0 in the last round. Before that, the team had not won in two consecutive Premier League matches, losing away to Nottingham Forest (0-1) and drawing at home with Brighton (2-2). Currently, the club is in fifth place, just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea. It's worth noting that Pep Guardiola's side has scored 57 goals in the current campaign, the second-best record in the league after Liverpool.
- In their last 13 Premier League matches, the club has suffered three defeats (7 wins and 3 draws).
- At least one team failed to score in 5 of Manchester City's last 6 Premier League games.
- The Citizens have not won the second half in their last five league matches (3 draws and 2 losses).
Predicted lineup for Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Ederson – Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Ruben Dias – Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez – Savio, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish – Omar Marmoush.
Referee
John Brooks (England)
Matches – 14 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 71;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 21%.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
Manchester derbies are often fiercely contested. In their last 15 league meetings, the clubs have drawn only once, with Manchester United winning 6 times and Manchester City claiming 8 victories. These encounters tend to be high-scoring; in the last six Premier League meetings, fewer than three goals have never been scored.
Despite the lack of league motivation for the hosts, it's worth noting that Ruben Amorim's side has failed to score in only one of their last five Premier League matches, against Nottingham Forest, which boasts one of the best defenses in the league. Meanwhile, the Citizens have shown defensive vulnerabilities this season, conceding in 11 of their last 15 Premier League games. On the other hand, the Citizens are likely to score more, as they have higher ambitions than their neighbors – they need to overtake Chelsea in the standings and pull away from Newcastle in the race for a Champions League spot.
My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals