The Manchester derby, which is full of unknowns, promises many surprises when Man City, the home team, struggles due to an injury crisis.
Man City lost nearly 1 squad
The match at the Etihad promises to be a goal-filled affair as Man City are forced to make up for their injury-ravaged defence with an attacking threat. Man City are desperate for points after a slow start to the season, losing to both Tottenham and Brighton in their last two games.
But the hosts’ determination to win will be appreciated when they face the Etihad Stadium. Centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov has recovered from a minor injury, but City’s injury list remains long. John Stones’ withdrawal from the England squad and his possible return to the derby, while Kalvin Phillips’ return to the City squad after an 18-month loan, highlights the fact that Pep is short of defenders.
It was reported on Saturday that Rayan Ait-Nouri will be out for several weeks with injury, with Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush ruled out of the derby.
Mateo Kovacic is still recovering from surgery in the summer, while Savinho and Josko Gvardiol are back in training after missing the first three games through injury. But Phil Foden will certainly be there to help Pep make up for his defensive shortcomings in attack.
Bad news for Man City’s defense: Cunha will recover in time
Ruben Amorim’s men, on the other hand, were held to a hard-fought 3-2 win over Burnley before the international break, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a late penalty. Either way, a high-scoring affair is expected at the Etihad Stadium, with both United and City struggling defensively at the start of the season. New signing Matheus Cunha is likely to be fit for the Manchester derby, along with Mason Mount.
Prediction: Man City – Man United 3-2
Head to Head
Manchester City were beaten by Manchester United at the Etihad last season, before drawing away at Old Trafford. In fact, City have failed to beat United in 90 minutes in their last four meetings, including a penalty shootout win in the 2024 Community Shield.
06-4-2025
Manchester United
Manchester City
0-0
15-12-2024
Manchester City
Manchester United
1-2
03-3-2024
Manchester City
Manchester United
3-1
29-10-2023
Manchester United
Manchester City
0-3
14-1-2023
Manchester United
Manchester City
2-1
02-10-2022
Manchester City
Manchester United
6-3
06-3-2022
Manchester City
Manchester United
4-1
06-11-2021
Manchester United
Manchester City
0-2
07-3-2021
Manchester City
Manchester United
0-2
12-12-2020
Manchester United
Manchester City
0-0
The match odds satisfied both sides of the fans when the home team Man City accepted Man United half a goal, for choice. The market did not fluctuate so until this morning, the odds were still half a goal, while the price of Man United gradually decreased to 9 and now 87. In this difficult context, Man City is more determined to win, so choosing the home team is still more secure.
The most popular score is Man City winning 2-1 with a bet price of 1 to 8, while a 1-1 draw is also attracting attention with a bet price of 1 to 8.3. Man City’s chance of winning seems to be wider with 100 and 2-0 both having a price of 11, while a score of 3-1 has a price of 12.
