“It’s a battle of no confidence” - Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand predicts winner of Manchester derby after Man City loss vs Juventus
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand fancies his former side's chances against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday (December 15) at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola's Cityzens dominated proceedings at the Allianz Arena but lost 2-0 to Juventus in midweek, thanks to Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie second-half strikes. The defeat was City's seventh in 10 games across competitions, winning once.
United, meanwhile, aren't in the best of form themselves as they travel to Viktoria Plzen on Thursday (December 12) in the UEFA Europa League. Ruben Amorim's side are 13th in the Premier League after successive league losses, winning only five of their 15 games.
Nevertheless, Ferdinand reckons United might not have a better chance of toppling the holders amidst their horror run of form, telling TNT Sports (via METRO):
"Man City couldn’t ask for a better game than the one that’s coming up this weekend by the way. The Manchester derby. If they want to get themselves back on track, beating United won’t reinstall every bit of confidence and paper over all the cracks, but it will go a long way to reinvigorating this team and squad if they were to get a result.
"But I’m backing the mighty Reds. They’re in great form as well, by the way! It’s a battle of no confidence."
The defeat at Juventus dropped City to 22nd in the Champions League standings. They have fared better in the Premier League, though, occupying fourth place after 15 games, trailing leaders Liverpool (35) by eight points.
What happened when Manchester United last visited Manchester City in the Premier League?
Manchester United won't have happy memories of their last Premier League trip to the Etihad, as Manchester City handed them a 3-1 defeat in a March 2024 matchup.
Marcus Rashford had given the visitors the early lead, but Guardiola's side hit back with three unanswered goals. Phil Foden bagged a brace in the second half before Erling Haaland atoned for an earlier miss by drilling home his team's third.
City would go on to win an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title, their sixth triumph in seven years, a first in English football history. Earlier in the season, the Cityzens had won 3-0 at Old Trafford. Striker Erling Haaland had a role in all three goals, scoring either side of the break and setting up Foden for a late third.