Manchester City and Manchester United’s starting lineups for the 31st round of the Premier League match on April 6, 2025 are as follows:
Manchester City starting lineup
Goalkeeper: Ederson (#31)
Defenders: Matthews Nunes (#27), Ruben Diaz (#3), Josko Gwadior (#24), Nico O’Reilly (#75)
MIDFIELD: Mateo Kovacic (#8), Bernardo Silva (#20), Ilkay Gündogan (#19), Kevin De Bruyne (#17)
Forwards: Phil Foden (#47), Omar Marmoush (#7)
Manchester United starting lineup
Goalkeeper: Andre Onana (#24)
Defenders: Nosair Mazrahi (#3), Harry Maguire (#5), Lenny Yorro (#15), Diogo Dalot (#20)
MIDFIELD: Manuel Ugarte (#25), Patrick Chinaszakpere Dolgoo (#13), Bruno Fernandez (#8), Alejandro Garnacho (#17)
Forward: Rasmus Hoylen (#9)
Man Utd: A change of manager, a long time ago, and a “bad” result.
This season has not been a good one for Manchester United. From the change of manager at the beginning of the season, to the current state of “self-loathing”, the Red Devils have almost given up hope of fighting for a place in Europe. The team is ranked in the middle of the table, there is no relegation pressure, but also not in the top six, the goal of the season is basically zero.
After former manager David Moyes was dismissed, the new manager Amorim came in, and although he brought in some new playing styles to try, the results didn’t improve, and on the contrary, it made some embarrassing records to be refreshed. Like the record of consecutive defeats, the record of goals conceded at home and so on, all of which made the face of this century-old club cast a shadow.
But Amorim doesn’t seem to be discouraged, as he has been sticking to his 3421 formation, and despite the controversy, the team’s performance in recent games has finally started to turn the corner. If they can win the UEFA Cup, United will still have a chance to reach the Champions League next season by “saving the country through a curve”.
ManCity: Early fall from the pack, aiming for the Champions League instead of the title
On the other side of the table, Manchester City are not doing too well either. Although they are last year’s Premier League four consecutive champions, the lineup of the world’s first price, even more than Real Madrid, but this season’s performance does not meet the identity of the “universe team”.
The Premier League title race fell out early, and the Champions League even stopped at the group stage, which is a huge blow to the manager Pep Guardiola’s career. His dominance in England has not only faltered, but he has also been gradually marginalized in Europe. Now City have only one goal left – to secure a top four spot and qualify for the Champions League next season.
Even if they end up winning the FA Cup, that will only guarantee a ticket to the UEFA Cup. It’s a very harsh reality for City, who were once regarded as the strongest team in Europe.
Man City Derby Prospect Analysis: One Side is Lightly Loaded, One Side is Under Pressure
In this Man City Derby, Man Utd are at home and have a relatively easy time of it. As they have no desire, United do not need to fight for the points, they can accept all kinds of results, even if it is a draw or even a small loss, as long as they play a decent game, the young players have grown, it can be treated as an “experimental game”.
Man City, on the other hand, are under tremendous pressure. They need to win to stay in the top 4, and against the unstable United, they have no choice but to win. Because of this, it gives United the space to “let go”. If Man U can play counterattack effect, Man City is likely to fall into passive.
Luxury lineup ≠ victory guarantee, money can’t pile up stable results.
It is undeniable that Man City has the most luxurious lineup in the EPL and even in the world at this stage. World-class players like De Bruyne, Foden and Bernardo abound in the team. The whole team is worth more than Real Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona and other European giants, and theoretically should dominate both the league and the Champions League.
But the game of soccer is not a paper game. Injuries, decline in form, tactical confrontation, coaching thinking problems, will affect the final results. Pep Guardiola, despite his high tactical standing in the Premier League, is now beginning to face new problems – his philosophy no longer seems invincible, and opponents have learned how to crack it.
A derby destined for mixed emotions
This Manchester derby is not as intense as the previous championship background, but still full of suspense and conversation. Manchester United is in a transitional period of rebuilding, and the experiment of manager Amorim is entering a critical stage; while Manchester City is tired at the end of the season, and must win to relieve the pressure.
On the one hand, there is a youth army that is lightly loaded, and on the other hand, there is a championship team that “can’t lose”. It’s hard to say who will have the last laugh.
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