
The two sides of Manchester do battle on Sunday afternoon as Manchester City host Manchester United at the Etihad. Surprisingly, the visitors are head of the hosts, but a win for Pep Guardiola's side will see them leapfrog Ruben Amorim's side. Read more for our betting tips and predictions.
After a lacklustre campaign last year that saw Manchester City out the title race by the new year, eventually finishing 13 points behind Champions Liverpool, Pep Guardiola would've wanted a fast start for his side this campaign to put pressure on The Reds. A 0-4 win over Wolves was a step in the right direction, before a 0-2 loss to Tottenham and a 2-1 loss to Brighton. This leaves them 13th in the league with just three points to their name.
Pep also has many injuries to contend with. Savinho, Rico Leis, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush, Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov are all doubtful for the derby day clash.
A poor start to his reign has piled pressure on Ruben Amorim after his mid-season switch from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon. A 15th place finish and a Europa League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur put United in a weak spot, but strong attacking reinforcements offer hope.
The season started with a 0-1 loss at home to Arsenal - a game in which the Red Devils may feel they were unlucky not to get anything from. A 1-1 draw at Fulham followed, before scraping past newly promoted Burnley 3-2 thanks to a last minute Bruno Fernandes penalty. However, the mood at Old Trafford is oddly optimistic and there is genuine hope that they can defeat their bitter rivals.
On the injury front, the only likely absentees are Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Matheus Cunha.
The same-city rivals have faced off 196 times in competitive fixtures. 55 have been draws, United have won 81 and City have won 60. The Citizens are slowly catching The Red Devils in overall victories but are still a long way off. Excluding the Community Shield penalty shoot out triumph, Manchester United are unbeaten in their last three games against City. Interestingly, the last time either side went four unbeaten against each other was between 2013 and 2014 where City won four in a row.
With so much on the line and a lot of uncertainty facing both sides, it has the potential to be a cagey, scrappy game. With that in mind, let’s look at the Premier League betting odds.
TIP: Under 3.5 goals and Manchester City Double Chance - 19/20 - Betano
Of City's three games this season, two have gone under 3.5 - the same total as Manchester United. The pressure faced by both teams after challenging spells should leave to a cagey, tepid affair, with both teams scared of mistakes.
Of the last 20 games between the sides, 15 have seen under 3.5 goals. This, combined with the aforementioned derby element points to a low-scoring game.

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