Man City vs Man Utd prediction: Haaland and Hojlund can do derby damage

Sunday’s Manchester derby is certainly one with a difference. Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side are currently wading through an unprecedented streak of poor results that the manager has never experienced in his career before.

Just one win in 10 games across all competitions almost seems impossible with this squad. It’s just not clicking in the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, whose season-ending injury makes the decision to give him the award even more justified with each passing week. Luckily for Man City, neighbours Manchester United are next up at the Etihad Stadium; a team that is more than capable of capitulating to give their rivals some momentum.

New manager Ruben Amorim showed his tactical nous on Thursday, making changes in the second half to come from behind and beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in the Europa League. But that unconvincing win and the previous back-to-back league losses against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest highlighted a sad realisation about the players at his disposal; they just aren’t good enough.

Man City have the perfect opportunity to get their season back on track against a squad that are prone to being used as a springboard, making for an intriguing showdown.

Man United’s frailties are so stark that it only feels right to back Erling Haaland, the man who is getting hounded from all angles.

He only has one goal in four games and has suffered from Man City’s dip in creativity, factors which have led football betting sites to offer a more enticing price than often seen for him to net the first goal. Punters who have watched Man Utd this season will know they give up plenty of chances.

Amorim’s three-at-the-back system is complex and requires strong decision-making. Although United’s overall play has improved since his arrival, only a handful of the players have shown they have the technical capacity to be part of this setup in the long term.

It’s exposing bad football IQ: Marcus Rashford’s poor passing, Diogo Dalot’s inability to work out when to press, Casemiro’s confusion as to why his legs need to go beyond walking speed. Every team that has faced the squad in this transitional phase has created chances.

Haaland should be excited to get on the pitch. Man City are favourites, make no mistake about it, and he now has the opportunity to prove a point. Just his presence between two of Amorim’s defenders will be enough to pressure this wilting back line in what could be a big moment in the Norwegian’s season.

Manchester City vs Manchester United prediction 1: Erling Haaland first goalscorer - 3/1 bet365

For those who are a little less settled on Man City doing the business, a punt on Haaland and Rasmus Hojlund to test the opposition’s goalkeeper on multiple occasions might be worth a look.

Hojlund is much-improved under Amorim and has begun to show lethality in front of goal, netting five in his last five appearances, two of which came in 34 minutes off the bench against Plzen.

He understands his manager doesn’t just need a hold-up player to lead the line, he needs someone to break through it as well. Hojlund has surprising pace and an increased willingness to sprint beyond the defence is seeing him find greater opportunities in the box.

While it’s risky to back him to score outright after United never looked like scoring against Arsenal, there’s no reason why this team shouldn’t play on the front foot. There will be opportunities if Man United do so, making a joint selection including the two young strikers particularly worth considering on betting sites.

Manchester City vs Manchester United prediction 2: Erling Haaland and Rasmus Hojlund each over one shot on target - 11/2 William Hill

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