Man City vs Manchester United Prediction for 14 September 2025 - Football

🔊 Will the Manchester derby surprise us with its outcome? This question leads to the idea that any result wouldn't be shocking, considering the form of the teams at the start of the season. Bookmakers share this view. Of course, they see Man City as the favorite, but Guardiola's squad has been so shaky that any team visiting the Etihad can hope to pick up points. And United are no exception. Especially since we know how the Red Devils can gear up for matches of this caliber. So, what can we expect? Let's delve into it.

Head-to-Head

📊 The head-to-head clashes between these teams are intriguing because City do not hold the upper hand, despite having outpaced United in terms of gameplay quality and trophy count for several years now. While it may seem that the clubs operate on entirely different levels, derbies exist outside of such contexts. Over the last eight encounters, each side has celebrated three victories, with two matches ending in a draw. The previous duel at the Etihad was memorable for the Red Devils' stunning comeback, with late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo securing a 2-1 win.

Manchester City Team Overview

Pep Guardiola's side looked solid at the Club World Cup and kicked off the new season with a commanding away victory over Wolverhampton (4-0). It seemed like City were back in the title race from the get-go, but then something went awry.

The "Citizens" suffered two consecutive defeats, both deservedly so. First, they lost at home to Tottenham (0-2), where despite having their chances, they were outplayed by the "Spurs" and failed to demonstrate their usual dominance. Following that, they were beaten by Brighton (1-2), collapsing in the second half. Amidst this backdrop, whispers began circulating about Guardiola's burnout and whether the Spaniard could ever return to his previous heights.

Manchester United Team Overview

Despite high expectations, United have had a poor start to the season, epitomized by their League Cup exit at the hands of Grimsby Town—a team from League Two. Watching Ruben Amorim's post-match interview was painful. His squad desperately needed a victory, and they managed one, albeit in an unconvincing fashion.

Yes, the Red Devils dominated possession, but given that it was a home game against Burnley, anything else would have been surprising. More concerning is that their defense faltered again, conceding twice from just six shots by the opposition. The winning goal came from a Bruno Fernandes penalty in the 97th minute, a decision that sparked plenty of debate.

Latest news

Manchester City

📝 Man City were quite busy as the transfer window closed. Ilkay Gundogan made his dream move to childhood favorites Galatasaray. The most significant changes, however, occurred in the goalkeeping department. Gianluigi Donnarumma, ousted from Paris, joined the Citizens for €30 million, while Ederson headed to Fenerbahce for €11 million. It's intriguing why Guardiola opted for a keeper whose clear weakness is playing with his feet. With such a high-profile competitor arriving, there are concerns about the future prospects of James Trafford, who has just returned to his home club.

🎙 Erling Haaland, who had a stellar international break with five goals and two assists against Moldova, shared his thoughts on Manchester City's recent form: “We've lost two matches in a row, that's really disappointing. We need to sort things out and get back to winning ways. We can't afford losses with so many strong teams around. The perfect time to turn things around is the match against United. We all need to be at our best. Losing isn't cool. It's frustrating. We need to channel this into something positive, as motivation to play better in the next match, and I expect we will. We need to use the anger inside us on the pitch to show our top level,” the Norwegian stated.

🚑 The Citizens have been hit by an injury crisis, but some players have returned to full training: Phil Foden, Savinho, Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Rico Lewis. Still sidelined are Ryan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Mateo Kovacic, and Omar Marmoush. John Stones' participation in the upcoming match remains doubtful.

Manchester United

📝 United, much like their neighbors, focused all their efforts on addressing the goalkeeper position as the transfer window closed. The club had been pursuing Senne Lammens from Antwerp for a while and eventually signed him for €21 million. The Belgian is likely to quickly become a starter, especially since André Onana has been loaned out to Trabzonspor. However, according to the head coach, Altay Bayındır will guard the net in the upcoming derby.

🎙 Ruben Amorim at the pre-match press conference: "Man City are a top team with, in my opinion, the best coach in the league. It's very difficult to predict how they will play, as they constantly change. But we are ready for this, we believe in our team, and I have a good feeling. It's going to be a very good game; we know what we need to do, and we have another training session to go. The current standings don't matter right now. I'm only concerned about sticking to our principles and fighting for every ball. Sometimes we lower our intensity a bit, but not in games like these. That's why I'm more at ease before such matches. We will be ready to compete against a very, very good team."

🚑 City are dealing with a tough injury situation, but United also have significant absences. Lisandro Martinez has been sidelined since last season with a cruciate ligament tear. Meanwhile, Mason Mount, Diogo Dalot, and Matheus Cunha have picked up fresh injuries. Ruben Amorim stated that all three will definitely not take the field on Sunday.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

It's no surprise that such a high-profile match will be officiated by the Premier League's top referee at the moment – Anthony Taylor. The Englishman is known for his lenient style, having shown only 92 yellow cards in 31 matches during last season's Premier League (averaging three per game). However, this season, the average has significantly increased to 4.6 cautions per match.

Given the current form of both teams, we're in for a heated derby. No matter how much Taylor tries to avoid harsh sanctions, we expect him to hand out at least four yellow cards. Moreover, the bet on over 3.5 yellow cards has paid off in six of Manchester City's last seven home games in the Premier League.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

The teams have conditioned us to expect not only intense showdowns but also high-scoring affairs in the Manchester derby. The last encounter was an anomaly, ending goalless, but prior to that, the over 2.5 goals mark was surpassed in six consecutive matches (Premier League stats). With both defenses lacking reliability, we can anticipate another goal-laden clash.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Finding a bet on corners was straightforward due to an undeniable trend. Manchester United have taken fewer than 3.5 corners in their last 11 head-to-head meetings at the Etihad. Regardless of their form, City’s territorial dominance should prevail, making it likely that this trend will continue.

As we've noted, derbies are matches that often defy context, where the team in worse form can sometimes come out on top. However, this time it's hard to tell who is in worse shape. Both sides are struggling, with significant injury concerns on each end. City are the favorites due to home advantage, but just last season United proved stronger at the Etihad.

Given the teams' instability, we're leaning towards a hard-fought 2-2 draw. However, betting on such an outcome carries high risks, so we suggest a more cautious option – both teams to score (yes). The "Citizens" and the "Red Devils" have exchanged goals in seven of their last eight Premier League encounters at the blue side of Manchester.