The 183nd Manchester Derby is on the schedule Sunday, March 8, 2020, as fifth place Manchester United host second place Manchester City. Both teams are in good form at the moment and this should be an exciting affair.
Manchester United enter the weekend in fifth place in the Premier League and, thanks to Manchester City being banned, occupy the final Champions League spot. It’s going to be a tight race for the final two Champions League spots as eight teams will feel they have a legit shot of ending up there. United are still alive in the Europa League, where they will face LASK in the Round of 16, and are still alive in the FA Cup where they will travel to Norwich City for the quarterfinals.
Manchester City enter the weekend in a weird spot as they do not have anything to play for in the league the rest of the way. City enter in second place, but are 22 points behind Liverpool and seven points up on third place Leicester City. With City being banned from the Champions League next year the league should play second, or third fiddle, the rest of the way. Manchester City have the second leg of their Round of 16 match-up with Real Madrid, in a few weeks, with City leading 2-1 after the first leg in Madrid. City also will travel to Newcastle for a FA Cup quarterfinal clash in late March.
Below is my pick for the Premier League action between Manchester United and Manchester City. All odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Manchester United (+420) vs Manchester City (-170) Draw (+340)
Last time out, Manchester United visited an old friend as the Red Devils visited Wayne Rooney, and Derby, for a FA Cup Round of 16 game. January signing Odion Ighalo netted two goals to help pave the way for a 3-0 Manchester United win. United are now unbeaten in nine straight games and have not lost since a 2-0 decision against Burnley in late January. Manchester United are a top four home club this season, having won 26 points, thanks to a 7-5-2 record.
Last time out, Manchester City took a trip to Sheffield, for a FA Cup Round of 16 clash with Sheffield Wednesday, and came away with a 1-0 win. The final score could have been 5-0, but City will still take the win and are still alive to win their second, or third, trophy of the season.
Series History: This will be the 182nd meeting between these two clubs with Manchester United leading the all-time series 75-52-54. United have won two of the three meetings this season and neither team has won as the home side this year. After losing two straight games, City has turned things around and have now won five straight games by a score line of 8-2. City are the second best road club in England having won 28 points thanks to a 9-1-4 record.
Game Prediction: I don’t think anyone can stop City at the moment, so I am backing Manchester City -170 in the Manchester Derby.
2020 Results: 28-19