Manchester United FC vs Manchester City FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Manchester United FC vs Manchester City FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Amid the swirling drama surrounding Kevin De Bruyne’s exit from City this season, Manchester City gear up for a blockbuster clash as they pay a visit to Old Trafford to take on fierce rivals Manchester United in the weekend’s final clash at 9 PM IST. 

Pep Guardiola’s men cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Leicester City after the international break, while their rivals continued to struggle, suffering a 13th Premier League defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Sunday’s clash carries extra weight for City as they battle to keep pace in the race for a coveted Champions League spot. 

Few derbies match this one in intensity, regardless of either side's form. Their last four Premier League meetings have been perfectly balanced, with two wins each, highlighting how tight this rivalry remains. 

Interestingly, home advantage often means little in this rivalry: 10 of the last 18 Premier League meetings have been won by the away side, with just two draws and six home wins. That trend could give City a slight edge heading into Sunday, with recent history favoring the visitors and the fact that Guardiola’s side has won more away games against United than any other side.

Current Standings: After 30 rounds, the hosts are placed 13th in the table with 10 wins and 13  defeats, while their rivals are 5th in the league standings with 15 wins and 9 defeats. 

Head-to-Head Record: In 55 matches that have been played between the teams, City holds an advantage in this rivalry with a 26-20 win record.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Manchester United FC Preview

It's been a nightmare season for the Red Devils—set to finish outside the top 10 and on course to record their worst points tally since the 2021-22 campaign. A far cry from the glory days. United’s lowest Premier League points tally stands at 58 from the 2021-22 season. Sitting on just 37 now with 24 left to play for, they’d need seven wins from eight—a near-impossible task considering their best run this season is just two wins in a row, last achieved in December. Ironically, one of those came against City (2-1) in the reverse fixture. 

Bruno Fernandes has been United’s silver lining this season, especially at Old Trafford. With 21 goal contributions (12 goals, 9 assists) at home, he’ll be eyeing another big moment in the derby. One more assist, and he’ll hit double digits in both goals and assists at home for the third time—matching feats from 2020-21 and 2022-23. Only Leicester City (26) have conceded the opening goal more often than United (23) across all competitions this season—a stat that sums up the Red Devils' struggles to take control from the start.

United has plenty to ponder regarding team combinations,  with Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw, and Jonny Evans all ruled out for Sunday. Adding to the headache, Matthijs de Ligt is now a fresh doubt after picking up a knock against Forest.

Manchester United  Probable XI - Onana (GK) ; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mount, Garnacho; Hojlund

Manchester City FC Preview

The headline from City this week: Kevin De Bruyne is set to leave this summer after over a decade of brilliance. Before he bows out, the Belgian maestro will be determined to guide City to a Champions League spot—and sign off his final Manchester Derby in style. 

A win on Sunday would lift City above Chelsea, who sit just a point ahead. But City’s away form has been shaky—just three wins in their last 11 Premier League trips, with six defeats matching the total from their previous 37 combined. City have already dropped 16 points from winning positions this season—their worst under Guardiola, surpassing their worst (13) of 2020-21 and 2022-23. Three of those came in the reverse clash against United.

With Haaland sidelined, Omar Marmoush will shoulder the goal-scoring load—just as he did against Leicester midweek, netting his fifth Premier League goal. All five have come at the Etihad, the most by any player to score 100% of their goals at home this season. He’ll be eager to end his away-day drought against City’s fiercest rivals.

De Bruyne is fit, firing, and set to soak up the spotlight in what could be his final Manchester derby. But Haaland won’t join the party—his ankle injury rules him out for five to seven weeks. Meanwhile, Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to return after missing the midweek clash.

Manchester City Probable XI - Ederson (GK); Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gundogan, Gonzalez; Savinho, Grealish, Doku; Marmoush

MANCHESTER UNITED FC vs MANCHESTER CITY FC
Winning Prediction

Recent Manchester derbies are closely contested, with away sides winning 10 of the last 18. Given this trend and their strong away record against United, Manchester City, favored to win at 2.16, may have a slight edge.

Manchester City to Win (0-2)

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