Manchester United vs Manchester City is the game of this weekend. In fact, it would be the game of any weekend.
Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Mata, Herrera, Martial, Rooney
Subs: Romero, Blind, Darmian, Carrick, Lingard, Memphis, Fellaini.
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany (C), Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure, Sterling, De Bruyne, Bony
Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Roberts, Navas, Iheanacho
This isn’t a grudge match between local teams that have been off the title pace for years.
Not only is the fierce rivalry 100% genuine. But these two sides are fighting for the title.
So what a game to savour.
Manchester City have been playing far more beautiful football than the Reds in recent years, with the current Manchester United incarnation a more pragmatic vintage.
But they reserved their very best performance for the corresponding fixture last year and, for once, we saw a flowing Manchester United team which moved the ball quickly and in an adventurous fashion.
United fans would of course rather see their team swashbuckle again on a weekly basis.
But the fact that they have a squad which is comparable in quality to Manchester City once more, tells you that Louis van Gaal has done really well in the market over the last 18 months.
He has spent a fortune but spent well. And in Martial and Memphis, he has two superstars of the future.
Don’t ask us to predict this one – all we can say with any confidence is that the first goal should be crucial to the outcome.
