Man City vs. Man United
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Kick off: 5pm
Sunday’s (today) Manchester derby will be about more than just bragging rights as some are dubbing the match a showdown for the last remaining Champions League spot.
Both Manchester City and Manchester United have slipped behind in their Premier League objectives as Manuel Pellegrini’s side are fourth in the table, 12 points behind leaders, Leicester City, while Louis van Gaal’s men are sixth, four points off fourth.
City will host United at the Etihad Stadium in the hope of claiming just their second league win in six games, while the Red Devils look to bounce back from their defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
City slipped up in the title race when they suffered defeat to their title rivals Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur in back-to-back matches and they failed to carry their momentum from winning the League Cup as they were undone 3-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in the following game.
The team have failed to score in their last two games in all competitions, but they head into this weekend’s showdown having qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Manchester derbies are always big games in the calendar, but the result of Sunday’s match could prove to be crucial as both are vying for a spot in next season’s European tournament.
These days it seems that every United game will decide Van Gaal’s future as manager, but perhaps today’s clash could actually influence his position at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils claimed back-to-back league wins for the first time since November when Juan Mata scored in the 83rd minute to give the team a 1-0 win over Watford on March 2.
The winning run did not last long, though, as they were undone by a single goal from Salomon Rondon in their league match against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns almost a fortnight ago.
United now find themselves sixth in the Premier League table, four points behind their rivals City, who sit in the final Champions League spot, with nine matches left to play.
The team were also dealt a blow on Thursday when they were knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Manchester City possible starting lineup: Hart, Zabaleta, Mangala, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Sterling, Toure, Silva, Aguero.
Manchester United possible starting lineup: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Rashford, Lingard, Mata, Martial.