Man City v Man United Prediction
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Manchester City v Manchester United Prediction:
Sunday, 8 January 2012 - The FA Cup 1pm
Author: Thomas Rooney 05/01/2012
Manchester City and Manchester United may have thought that the FA Cup third round would be their chance to take a break from the title race, to rest a few players and generally have a weekend off from the intense rivalry.
How wrong they were. When the third round draw was made, everybody was talking about Manchester City v Manchester United. Of all the games to be drawn, it was the two top teams in England coming head to head for a place in the fourth round.
A lot has happened since this draw was made too. The simple fact is that City lead the way in the title race, currently three points above their Manchester rivals. This doesn’t tell the whole story though.
In truth, both teams have shown their weaker side. City have drawn at West Brom and lost to Sunderland, while United have lost their last two league games at the hands of struggling Blackburn Rovers and an inspired Newcastle United.
City managed to get themselves back on track with a comfortable victory over Liverpool, but there is no doubt that the recent stuttering form of these teams adds extra significance to Sunday’s FA Cup tie.
Can either side really afford to lose? Mentally, can they recover from a defeat at the hands of their rivals which would be combined with omission from the FA Cup?
Although both teams will be aware of this games significance, it seems fair to say that this game is bigger for United than City, for a couple of reasons.
First up, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have lost their last two games. City have recovered from their ‘slump’, but United are bang in the middle of theirs. A third defeat in a row – an unprecedented run for the Premier League Champions – could be devastating.
Secondly, there will be one word on the lips of United fans ahead of this one – revenge. The last time these two teams met was the 6-1 victory for City at Old Trafford. It was an embarrassing day for the Red Devils and they will want to put this right on Sunday.
So, the pressure really is on United. City may have the home advantage, but they will be in a better place mentally than their visitors.
However, if there is one thing that Ferguson’s team have done over the years, it is respond to criticism extremely well. When they are written off, they inevitably bounce back with a big result.
Whether they do it this weekend though, remains to be seen. It will certainly be a closely fought match between two talented sides. A score draw seems like a fair prediction, meaning we are all in for another Manchester derby in the replay.
Match bet: Draw @ 12/5 with Bet365 - (£200 free bets)
Correct score prediction: Manchester City 2:2 Manchester United @ 16 with Betfair
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