Matchday 16 of the Premier League between Manchester City and Manchester United will take place on December 15 at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City vs. Manchester United: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Matches – 13 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 53;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 38%.
Predicted lineups for Manchester City vs. Manchester United
Manchester City (4-3-3): Stefan Ortega – Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol – Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva – Matheus Nunes, Savio, Erling Haaland.
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Andre Onana – Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire – Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, Tyrell Malacia – Mason Mount, Alejandro Garnacho – Rasmus Hojlund.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
Manchester City
The Citizens continue to drop points in the Premier League. In the last round, the team once again failed to win, settling for a draw away to Crystal Palace (2-2). In their last six league matches, the club has secured only one victory – against Nottingham Forest, drawn once, and lost four times. Notably, in this series of games, Pep Guardiola's side has conceded at least two goals on five occasions. As a result, they have slipped to fourth place and are now eight points behind the leaders, with Liverpool having a game in hand.
Defender Rico Lewis will miss the match due to suspension. Defender Nathan Ake, midfielder Rodri Hernandez, and forward Oscar Bobb are sidelined with injuries.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 6 of Manchester City's last 8 Premier League games.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of the last 11 matches involving the Citizens in the Premier League.
- At least two goals have been scored in the first half in 8 of the last 9 home league games for the Citizens.
Manchester United
The team has suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the second time this season. First, they lost away to Arsenal (0-2), followed by a 2-3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. Interestingly, this is only the second time in Ruben Amorim's managerial career that he has suffered consecutive league defeats. Manchester United currently sits in 13th place, six points adrift of the European qualification spots.
Defender Luke Shaw is still recovering from an injury.
- The club has failed to win 8 of their last 11 Premier League matches (4 draws and 4 losses).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 14 of Manchester United's last 16 Premier League games.
- The first half ended in a draw in five of the team's last away league matches.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United: Match Prediction
In the last six league meetings, the Citizens have claimed victory five times. Furthermore, at least three goals have been scored in the last five head-to-head Premier League encounters. I anticipate this derby will be entertaining and high-scoring, but I am reluctant to back a straight win for the hosts, considering Pep Guardiola's side is not in the best form.
In their last 10 official matches, Manchester City has managed only one win (2 draws and 7 losses). During this period, the club has conceded at least two goals on nine occasions. Since the start of November, the Citizens have conceded 21 goals in 9 matches, the highest among teams in Europe's top leagues.
Manchester United also consistently concedes and has not secured a Premier League victory against opponents above ninth place in the standings. Additionally, the team has struggled away from home, with no wins in their last five away league matches (3 draws and 2 losses). Therefore, my prediction is 1X and Total Over 2.5
