Manchester United will play their second cup match over the last seven days. However, this time they will take on Manchester City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals. The Red Devils know a positive result could give them a huge boost on the title race, but City must win here if they want to get closer towards clinching their first trophy of the 2019-20 season. This match will kick-off at 20:00 GMT.
Team News
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t confirm if Sergio Romero was going to start in place of David De Gea between the posts, but that could be a realistic possibility. Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay are unavailable due to injury, and Harry Maguire might miss this contest after picking up a knock against the Wolves. The same goes for Dutch winger Tahith Chong, while Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial are both questionable after missing Saturday’s clash due to illness. United might be depleted with Pogba, Lingard, Maguire and Martial all possibly out.
Meanwhile, Manchester City might not have Aymeric Laporte since the central defender continues to build fitness. However, fellow center-back Nicolas Otamendi should be available. Winger Leroy Sane remains sidelined, and he shouldn’t return until March at the earliest. All things considered, City could field a very strong team here at Old Trafford.
Form guide
Manchester United have reached the EFL Cup semi-finals due to a string of strong performances. The Red Devils debuted with a 2-1 win over Rochdale, and then repeated the score against Chelsea in a game where Marcus Rashford scored one of the best goals for Manchester United this season. They looked even more dominant in the quarterfinal round against Colchester, where they cruised towards a comfortable 3-0 victory.
On the other hand, Manchester City have enjoyed a quiet campaign in the EFL Cup so far. Pep Guardiola’s men have scored three goals in each of their three fixtures so far, while conceding just two goals in total. For what is worth, they began their campaign with a strong 3-0 home win over Preston. Then, they won back-to-back matches against Southampton and Oxford United by an identical 3-1 score.
What is our recent record against Manchester City?
Manchester City have been far more successful than United over the last few years. However, the recent H2H record between these two sides has been quite matched. In fact, each side has won twice in the last four Premier League meetings between these two clubs.
This will be the second meeting of the season for these two clubs. Manchester United won 2-1 at the Eithad Stadium when these two sides met last month.
Predicted outcome
Both Manchester City and Manchester United are coming off inconsistent runs of form, but City have the edge in terms of recent form, squad depth and overall talent. Manchester United should feel confident of getting a positive result since they will be playing at home, but that’s where the advantages end for Solskjaer’s men. Don’t be surprised if City grab the lead on this two-legged tie since they have a slight edge here despite playing on the road.
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