Manchester United vs Manchester City Prediction, Betting Odds, Picks

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains under pressure as Manchester United manager
• Manchester City will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League
• The champions could take advantage of their rivals’ deficiencies this weekend

Manchester United vs Manchester City Odds

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Manchester United vs Manchester City Pick

Pep Guardiola’s side are not flawless but their well-rehearsed attacking patterns will cause problems for Manchester United’s backline.

Back Manchester City to win and over 1.5 goals in total. (+100)

Solskjaer Must Show He Has Learned Lessons of Liverpool Loss

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not out of the woods just yet, but this has been a good week for the Manchester United manager. It began with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, for which Nuno Espirito Santo paid with his job. Solskjaer shifted to a 3-4-1-2 formation to give United extra solidity without the ball, while Edinson Cavani was brought in to partner Cristiano Ronaldo upfront. The changes worked well and suggested that Solskjaer had stumbled upon a blueprint for the short term at least.

There were a few changes of personnel for the trip to Atalanta on Tuesday, but the United boss stuck with the same system. He was, in all honesty, bailed out by the individual brilliance of Ronaldo, who scored in stoppage time of both halves to earn United a crucial point in the Champions League. Atalanta were the better team for most of the 2-2 draw in Bergamo, but Solskjaer will argue that the result was all-important and United got what they needed to remain at the top of Group F.

Still, the Norwegian remains in a fragile position and the astonishing 5-0 defeat by Liverpool two weeks ago will loom large for a while yet. A similarly hefty loss to Manchester City this weekend would put Solskjaer on the brink of the sack once again, particularly as United will fall 11 points adrift of top spot if they lose and Chelsea beat Burnley a couple of hours later.

The Red Devils need to show they have learned the lessons of that Liverpool loss. They are not an effective pressing team and would be advised to stand off City to an extent, before breaking in behind on the counter-attack. If they are as shoddy defensively as they were against Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s side will take full advantage.

Manchester City Need to Get Back on Track After Palace Defeat

Manchester City slumped to a surprising 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace last weekend. The red card shown to Aymeric Laporte on the stroke of half-time left City with a mountain to climb, but they were already 1-0 down at that point and had played poorly in the first half. City continued to dominate possession after the break despite their numerical disadvantage, but clear-cut chances were few and far between. Palace defended stoutly and were good value for their win.

Guardiola will be looking for a response from his team, who took out some of their frustration on Club Brugge in a 4-1 Champions League victory in midweek. Last Saturday was not the first time City have underwhelmed on their own patch this term. They fashioned precious few opportunities in a 0-0 draw with Southampton at the Etihad Stadium, where they also beat Burnley 2-0 but turned in a somewhat unconvincing display. Breaking down deep defenses has proved more problematic than usual for the Premier League champions, perhaps because of the absence of a traditional center-forward.

Despite having collected 10 points each in their home and away games, City has been more impressive on the road. Thataway tally is excellent considering Guardiola’s side have already been to Tottenham, Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool. Their attack has looked more fluid at stadiums other than the Eithad, largely because home teams tend to push up the pitch more. Guardiola will hope that proves to be the case at Old Trafford too.

Back Manchester City to Edge a Game With Several Goals

Solskjaer has a decent record against Manchester City, particularly away from home – he has won all three of his trips to the Eithad as Manchester United manager. The Norwegian has often come up with astute game plans to get the better of City on their own patch, with United happy to sit deep and play on the counter-attack.

They might find it more difficult to enact that sort of strategy at Old Trafford, where they will be roared forward by the home fans. United were far too gung-ho against Liverpool, and that lack of discipline contributed to their demolition by the Reds. United cannot afford to repeat that mistake here; if they are to triumph, they will have to be patient and wait for the right moments to strike.

The problem, though, is that by allowing City to dominate possession you give them what you want. Guardiola’s side might lack an out-and-out scorer at the top of the pitch, but there are still plenty of goals within this team. With United likely to go back to a four-man defense due to Raphael Varane’s injury, City will back themselves to exploit the gaps that will inevitably appear. Back an away win and more than 1.5 goals in the early kick-off on Saturday.

How to Watch Manchester United vs Manchester City