Premier League: Manchester United vs Manchester City - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

The Manchester derby is upon us, as United welcome City on Sunday, April 6, at the Theatre of Dreams. It promises to be a fascinating matchup because it carries significant importance for both teams. 

For United, it’s a matter of pride, as their league position cannot improve dramatically. For City, however, this could prove to be a pivotal match in their hunt for Champions League football, which would be a major setback if missed.

Manchester United

Manchester United will approach this match seriously because it’s a derby. However, they have another massive fixture coming up in the Europa League, which is their only remaining chance to secure Champions League football. As a result, they might not give 100% here, which could impact the outcome.

Team News: Manchester United still don’t have their full squad available. Lisandro Martínez, Amad Diallo, and Luke Shaw remain sidelined. Mainoo could return, alongside Leni Yoro and Harry Maguire.

Predicted Lineup: Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrik Dorgu, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Rasmus Højlund.

Manchester City

Manchester City need victories, and to achieve them, they must score goals. However, they will have to do so without Erling Haaland, who is unavailable for this match as well as several other upcoming fixtures. His absence will force manager Guardiola to employ some creative adjustments in the lineup, and this match will reveal whether his strategies are successful.

Team News: City have struggled with injuries this season, most notably losing Rodri, which significantly altered their campaign. Now, they are without Haaland too, but he is not the only absentee. Ake, Stones, and Akanji are also out.

Predicted Lineup: Ederson, Joško Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, Abdulodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis, Nicol González, Mateo Kovačić, Doku, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Omar Marmush.

• The four most recent matches between these two sides feature both teams scoring
• Manchester United have won two of the last three in this head-to-head
• Manchester City generally play better against United away from home
• Only two of the last 10 matches between these two didn’t feature both teams scoring

Manchester United will be eager to win this match because it’s a derby, but there are several trends suggesting a different outcome might be more likely.

Historically, City have fared well against United, particularly when playing at Old Trafford.

City have won there on most occasions, and they need another victory to maintain their hopes of Champions League qualification. Dropping points would only diminish their chances further, making this a crucial match for them.

Another factor to consider is that Manchester United have an upcoming Europa League match, which is likely to be a higher priority for them. They might already be looking ahead to that fixture. 

Bottom line, we expect Manchester City to eke out a win here despite the head-to-head trend.

Manchester City to Score 2+ Goals - $2.50

Manchester City are likely to win this match because they will have a stronger desire to secure victory. The team could well thrive without Haaland, adopting a more team-oriented style of play, which will make scoring easier. 

For this reason, we recommend betting on them to score at least two goals, which pays healthily across NZ betting sites. Head to Bet365 for the best odds of $2.50 on this bet.