Old Trafford hosts the first Manchester derby of the season on Saturday with plenty of fireworks expected in a vital game for both sides.
United are unbeaten in the last four league derbies and bookmaker 10Bet has the odds at 2.25 for them to stretch the streak to five games. The odds are at 1.68 for City to win and pile more pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: November 4th, 8:30 P.M. (EST)
Solskjaer won himself some time last Sunday with a 3-0 win at Tottenham, but this could be the end of the road for him if United aren’t able to compete in the 186th Manchester derby.
The Red Devils seemed to have taken yet another step backward in the Champions League midweek when Atalanta scored two easy goals against them. Only a piece of brilliance in injury time from Cristiano Ronaldo saved a point in Bergamo.
Ronaldo has now scored nine goals in 11 appearances since rejoining the side and things would look rather bleak without his efforts. He’s almost single-handedly earned seven points for the team in the Champions League but hasn’t been able to do it all on his own in much tougher league fixtures.
A meeting with City is as tough as it can get in the Premier League although the matchup has suited United well in recent seasons. In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has recorded more wins (4) than losses (3) in eight meetings with Pep Guardiola. Another victory here would be huge for his future at the club.
It’s also a massive game for Guardiola after the team suffered their second league loss of the campaign last weekend. A 2-0 result against Crystal Palace marked the third time City have finished goalless in the league this season and with that they have already matched their number from last season.
City’s offense tends to blow hot and cold. They produced an amazing opening half of football in a 4-1 win over Brighton just before getting shut out by Palace. Better consistency is needed for them to keep up with Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.
If City fails to win on Saturday, the gap with the top spot could already be eight points. They should be desperate to avoid another setback and that’s awful news for Solskjaer who must get something from the match to avoid the sack.
