The Manchester derby beats them all.
Forget the Old Firm, Merseyside derby, and El Classico. When Manchester United and Manchester City take to the field, sparks fly. No inch is asked nor given, and the players leave their heart and soul on the field of play, battling hard to reward fans with a win. And if you think the game means a lot to the players and coaches involved, it’s nothing to the fans’ passion. Manchester derby crowds attract crowds of up to 78,000, with that number hit in 1947. And it’s not only those in attendance that watch.
The Manchester derby attracts millions worldwide viewers who follow the action on television, live-streaming apps, and any other way possible. It’s an unmissable game, and the rivalry returns on Sunday, 29th October, at 15:30 GMT for the first Manchester derby of the season. The best online sportsbooks already offer attractive odds and unique markets. Lovers of a bet can even wager on a red card in the game.
As the teams prepare to meet for the 190th time, we wander down memory lane, reading through the history books. The fixture has given us some memorable goals, tackles, and cards, but studying past derbies also gives us access to the stats and trends. Like which team leads the way in the head-to-head scores, and who loves a goal in this fixture more than any other?
Keep reading as we talk you through the Manchester derby stats, highlighting those that may come in handy to those making predictions in the renewal.
United remain dominant
Manchester United dominates the head-to-head scores, winning 77 games. That tally gives the Red Devils a sizeable advantage over their neighbours, and it’ll be many seasons until their lead is under any real threat. Regardless of what happens in the upcoming renewal of the Manchester derby, United is the top team in this fixture.
Manchester City boast 59 wins over United, and despite lagging behind their rivals, they are moving in the right direction. United pulled clear of City during their glory years, but the cash-rich era has helped City close the gap. The Cityzens enjoy a run of recent derby wins, and they finished on top last time.
Then we have the draws. The rivals are no strangers to sharing points and have finished level 53 times. The most recent draw was a goalless finish in December 2020 during the height of the pandemic. The seven games since have produced a winning team, although a point each wouldn’t be the worst result for Ten Haag and Guardiola so early in the campaign.
Most recent meeting
Let’s remind ourselves of the last time the Manchester sides locked horns. We don’t have to go back too far, as the sides clashed at Wembley in the final of the FA Cup last season. Saturday, 3rd June, paired United and City at the national stadium, and the game caught fire early, producing a goal in the opening 60 seconds from Ilkay Gundogan.
Bruno Fernandes helped United recover from that early setback as they recovered from a slow start. He fired home a penalty with 33 minutes on the clock to tie the game, and although United had chances to win, it was City that added another trophy to their collection. Pep’s boys added the FA Cup to the Premier League title and progressed to win the Champions League. Gundogan’s second goal on 51 minutes proved the difference between the teams at full-time.
The stats show the final score was a fair reflection on the game as Man City dominated the football with 60% possession and eleven attempts at goal to United’s seven. The game wasn’t as ill-disciplined as some other Manchester derbies, producing only four bookings, two for each team.
Goals
It can be challenging to predict the winner of a Manchester derby, but one thing fans can be sure of is plenty of goals. The three games last season produced a combined 15 goals, with the aggregate score Man City 9-6 Man Utd.
Both teams scored in those three games, which stretches back to a 2-0 win for Man City five games ago in November 2021. Will both teams find the net again in the next game? The way United and City have started the season suggests we could enjoy another goal-fest in the Premier League’s final game of October.
Looking deeper into the scores and trends, we note that 2-1 was the final score in each of the last two derbies, with each side claiming victory. Man Utd won by the odd goal in three at Old Trafford in the final derby of the season before City lifted the FA Cup with a 2-1 result.
The winning team in this fixture has scored exactly two goals in five of the last seven games. The other three were 2-0 wins, which may help football fans with their correct score predictions.
Scorers
We saw many of the same goalscorers in the high-scoring three derbies last season, including in that jaw-dropping 6-3 home win for City at the Etihad Stadium.
The highest scorers in the Manchester Derby last term were Haaland and Foden, who scored three goals each in that 6-3 win. Fernandes has two goals in his previous two games against City, while Gundogan’s double in the FA Cup moved him onto the podium. Those players will be eager to pick up where they left off and return to scoring ways in the next meeting.
The last five games played at Old Trafford have produced 2-1 and 2-0 home wins, 2-0 away wins and a goalless draw. You can use that trend and the goalscorer information to create a scorecast prediction for big odds. Predict the winning team, the correct score, and a first or anytime scorer.
Those forecasts can be challenging to land, but they’re worthwhile as they provide substantial potential winnings. Regardless of your prediction for the next Manchester derby, following the stats can help you land a winner.
