Manchester City vs. Manchester United Prediction: Struggling Rivals Lock Horns

• Manchester City have won one in eight ahead of this weekend’s derby

• Manchester United are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League

• Both teams are struggling but that does not mean this will be a poor game

Manchester City vs. Manchester United Odds

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Manchester City vs. Manchester United Pick

Both Manchester City and Manchester United are struggling defensively, so we expect an open game this weekend. Over 10.5 shots on target looks like a smart selection.

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Manchester City Malaise Continues With European Defeat

Manchester City just cannot seem to get out of this rut. A 2-0 loss to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday means they have now won just one of their last eight matches in competitions. It is almost unthinkable given how dominant they have been in recent years. This is by far City’s lowest ebb in the Pep Guardiola era.

Guardiola is one of the best managers in world soccer history. In the past he has found innovative solutions to his team’s problems. On several occasions he has actually adapted in some way before an issue has even arisen. This time, though, even the great Guardiola is struggling to lift the malaise at the Etihad Stadium.

The season-ending injury suffered by Rodri, this year’s Ballon d’Or winner, is clearly a key reason behind City’s struggles. The Spain international is so important with and without the ball. He is the man who sets the tempo of City’s passing game, while he is also adept at breaking up play in the center of the park.

However, we cannot pin all this on one injury. On reflection, City have done a mediocre job of refreshing their squad over recent transfer windows. There is a sense that this group of players, namely the likes of Ederson, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, has been allowed to grow old together.

Certain members of the squad have underperformed. Ederson has been dropped, Walker and Gundogan are past their best, and Phil Foden has been a shadow of the player who shone so brightly last term. Erling Haaland’s finishing has let him down at times and others are not stepping up to share the goalscoring burden.

The title has probably gone already, but City must stop the rot soon if they want to remain in the mix for a top-four finish.

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Honeymoon Is Over for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United

Ruben Amorim won two and drew one of his first three games in charge of Manchester United, but the honeymoon is well and truly over now. The Red Devils were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the recent round of midweek games in the Premier League, before going down 3-2 to Nottingham Forest at home a few days later. The manager pulled no punches afterwards.

"It was a tough game, we started the two halves really bad," he told Sky Sports. "It was hard to pass on some calm to the players and continue the game as we should do. We need more time to put positionings in – if you see the first goal was a good combination between the players - after the first goal we had good moments creating chances but we went forward without thinking. 

"We have to address it and it’s a long journey. It’s a tough context but we have to understand this is a long journey and that’s what our jobs are.”

We are only in December and it feels too early to completely write teams off, but it is increasingly difficult to see how United can finish in the top four this season. They head into the weekend in 13th place, eight points behind the Champions League spots and only 10 clear of the relegation zone. Amorim has a big job on his hands.

To be clear, there is still plenty for United to achieve in 2024/25. They are still in the EFL Cup and will also be targeting glory in the Europa League and the FA Cup. A top-seven finish in the league is eminently achievable.

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Neither Team Is in Good Form But This Could Be an Open Game

One consequence of Manchester City’s collapse in form is that there is no longer any fear factor when teams play them. The latest example of this in the Premier League came just last weekend, when Crystal Palace were disappointed to only score twice against the team that has won six of the last seven titles.

Without Rodri in the middle of the pitch, City have really struggled to halt opposition counter-attacks. Their opponents regularly tear right through the heart of Guardiola’s side. It is something Manchester United will look to do this weekend.

City are still creating chances at least. No team in the Premier League can match their tally of 89 shots on target, which works out at close to six per game. United are also performing relatively well on that measure, having hit the target 73 times - just one fewer than title challengers Arsenal.

United are still trying to adapt to Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, particularly defensively. That should allow City to fashion opportunities and get shots away. We recommend going for over 10.5 attempts at target when these two clubs renew hostilities in the Manchester derby on Sunday.

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How to Watch Manchester City vs. Manchester United

• Teams: Manchester City vs. Manchester United

• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

• Date and Time: Sunday, 15 December 2024, 11.30 AM ET 

• How to Watch: USA Network