My head says a Blues win, but my heart’s with Reds
ALL indications are City will win the derby handsomely and leapfrog United in the Premier League table.
However, you just never know with this Reds team, who some are saying is one of the worst of the modern era – although other fans like me believe it’s just a matter of time before we click.
It’s obviously a one-off game, and my message to all the superconfident Blues out there is beware of the wounded tiger!
My head says it will be a 3-1 City win at Old Trafford today, which is 12/1 at Betfred, but my heart is banking on a 1-0 home win at 14/1.
The Blues go into the 183rd derby as odds-on favourites to pick up all three points after their stroll to victory in Marseille in the Champions League midweek.
United, in contrast, are 100/30 following that dismal showing against Leipzig, in which we only needed a draw but ended up losing and being jettisoned to Thursday night football in the Europa League.
If I had it my way, and I have been consistent on this, it’s time for a decision to be made on Paul Pogba – and that decision is for us to cut our losses in the January transfer window because it is so obvious he and his agent fancy a move, with Juventus the most likely destination.
It just had to be Pogba who scored in Germany on Tuesday, and I wouldn’t put it past this inconsistent World Cup winner to be on the scoresheet today against City – he’s 16/1 at Betfred to score first, and 6/1 to net anytime.
It will be a fascinating clash of styles, with United needing to quickly break up City’s possessionbased football to get on the counterattack – and that’s why under-pressure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will need to get his midfield selection spot on.
Bruno Fernandes has just got to
start because it is he who can thread through the killer passes to Marcus Rashford and, hopefully, Mason Greenwood who are more than capable of upsetting the City backline.
Fernandes is 6/1 at Betfred to score the opener, with Rashford 7/1.
Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero – who has been such a pain for me over the years with me having to pay out more than £2million virtually every season thanks to our Double Delight/Hat-trick Heaven promotion – may not start so we’ve got Gabriel Jesus at 7/2 to open the scoring for the Blues, with Raheem Sterling 4/1.
We all love a local hero, and hopefully three academy products will play.
Rashford is 13/5 at Betfred to score anytime, with Greenwood 3/1 – while arguably one of the most skilful emerging players in England today, Phil Foden, is 2/1.