Manchester City vs Manchester Utd Prediction: 15/12/2024

Manchester City, who have dominated the English football scene in recent years, winning four consecutive Premier League titles and six of the last seven, have started this season in an unexpected slump. Although they were once again favorites for the championship, the Cityzens currently sit in 4th place, 8 points behind the league leaders. Their promising start has been marred by a series of setbacks, including four straight defeats to Bournemouth, Brighton, Tottenham, and Liverpool. Although they bounced back with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, a disappointing 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace last weekend confirmed that the team is struggling.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s performance has been even more disappointing. Occupying 13th place with just 19 points from 15 matches, the Red Devils are far from their expected form. After parting ways with manager Erik ten Hag in October, United, under the guidance of Ruben Amorim, showed brief improvement, including a 4-0 win over Everton. However, they have since slipped back into a losing pattern, falling to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in recent matches.

Manchester City has been particularly hindered by injuries, including the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri for the season and several key defenders, such as John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Aké. Midfielder Mateo Kovacic and striker Phil Foden also face uncertainty regarding their availability. Despite these setbacks, Erling Haaland remains a key offensive figure, scoring 13 goals in the league, supported by Kevin De Bruyne.

On the other hand, United is also dealing with injuries in defense, with Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, and Jonny Evans sidelined. Despite these issues, players like Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford (4 goals) remain central to the team’s hopes, with support from youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho.

Prediction

Despite their struggles, Manchester City’s home form has been poor, having won only two of their last 11 Premier League matches at home. In contrast, Manchester United has enjoyed strong away performances recently, winning four out of their last five away games.

Prediction: Manchester City 1 – 2 Manchester United