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Manchester United vs Manchester City betting tips:
- Manchester City win and Over 2.5 goals – 6/4 with Boyle Sports
- Julian Alvarez to score any time – 2/1 with William Hill
- Under 9.5 corners – 20/23 with Parimatch
It’s derby day in Manchester on Sunday and a battle between two clubs who have not started the Premier League campaign as well as they would have hoped.
If that seems a harsh assessment of Manchester City’s season when they entered the weekend two points off the top, losing successive league matches for the first time in five years would not have been on Pep Guardiola’s agenda in August.
But things have been worse at Old Trafford, with Manchester United making their customary stumbling start to another season which undermines their hopes of success.
With football betting sites making the visitors 7/10 favourites at the time of writing, will United find themselves firmly in mid-table by Sunday evening?
Away day in the derby
This match offers Erik ten Hag’s side a fantastic opportunity to ignite their season while striking a significant blow to their rivals from across town.
Only once in the last 28 seasons has the eventual Premier League champion lost three of its opening 10 games, which will be City’s position should United prevail here.
While that won’t automatically mean they can’t win the title – it was Manuel Pellegrini’s class of 2013/14 who provided that one exception – City’s air of invincibility may have been well and truly punctured.
And let’s not forget, the corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-1 home win, despite the visitors opening the scoring through Jack Grealish with only 30 minutes to go.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford ensured Manchester was red that day.
But while a repeat is always a possibility, it looks to be an impossible case to make given United’s form. When they won the Old Trafford derby in January, they did so having won their preceding four Premier League games and keeping three clean sheets in the process.
They might have won their last three in all competitions ahead of this clash but the victories were not secured in a manner which appears at all sustainable.
To recap, the run started with a 2-1 win over Brentford in which their first goal was scored in the 93rd minute, never mind their second, and both were bagged by Scott McTominay.
They then won at bottom side Sheffield United thanks to a 30-yard goal from Diogo Dalot, before a stoppage time penalty save by Andre Onana ensured Harry Maguire’s goal secured three Champions League points against Copenhagen.
Does that sound like a side that can beat treble-winning City?
Not likely. The visitors’ recent wobble occurred while Rodri was suspended, and (Community Shield aside) they have won every other match in which he has played this season.
His presence could help ensure another City win, and as the last four derbies have all paid out on over 2.5 goals, we may see an entertaining contest featuring several goals.
Tip: Manchester City win and Over 2.5 goals – 6/4 with Boyle Sports
Alvarez to settle the derby
Julian Alvarez might have lifted just about every trophy going but the World Cup winner has minimal experience of Manchester derbies.
He came off the bench for the final 15 minutes of City’s 6-3 win at the Etihad Stadium last season and was an unused substitute for the other two clashes – including the FA Cup final – in 2022/23.
But while they’ve barely faced him, the Red Devils should be worried considering his form.
Alvarez has scored six goals in his last 10 City appearances, only eight of which were starts, and he has assisted a teammate three times in those matches too.
If you fancy a first goal scorer bet, the Argentine goes into the weekend with the joint-most opening goals in the 2023/24 Premier League season, alongside Jarrod Bowen and Odsonne Edouard.
The any time odds with UK betting sites are worth considering, and Alvarez’s recent form suggests he can get on the score sheet.
Tip: Julian Alvarez to score any time – 2/1 with William Hill
Old Trafford will be light on corners
Manchester City dominate the ball with such authority that their games don’t feature many corners. Chances against them come at a high premium, while they fashion high quality opportunities which are hard to block.
City’s league matches this season have averaged 9.1 corners, the fewest of any club in the division, and they held the same position in 2022/23 with 8.9 per game.
This was hugely evident in the two Manchester league derbies, which featured just nine corners in total, and there were only six in the FA Cup final
The most seen in the last three Old Trafford derbies is 10 too, so under 9.5 here is our third and final prediction for the game.
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Last Updated: 26th March 2024, 10:34 AM
