League Cup Preview: Manchester United - Manchester City

Kick-off Wednesday, January 27, 2010 – 20:00 GMT
Old Trafford, Manchester

Defending the League Cup may not have been at the very top of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s list of priorities at the start of the season, although following last week’s narrow defeat to Manchester City in the semi-final first leg, getting to Wembley for the final will surely now take immediate precedence.

United fans will undoubtedly argue against the notion, but Carlos Tevez’s brace for the Citizens against his former employers last week went some way to demonstrating that Roberto Mancini’s side are capable of mixing it up with the Premier League’s established elite.

Since Mancini’s arrival, City have lost just once in seven games and are clearly serious contenders in the race to finish fourth in the Premier League. Mancini himself may have even higher expectations, although a place in next season’s Champions League will undoubtedly be seen as a success story in the eyes of Citizens’ supporters.

Ferguson’s United, meanwhile, comfortably dispatched of Hull City on the weekend to assume top spot in the title race. However, having already been dumped out of the FA Cup by Leeds United, defeat to City would be a bitter pill to swallow.

It’s one apiece in terms of meetings this season and while the outcome of Wednesday’s encounter may be difficult to predict, one thing for sure is that Manchester’s cross-city rivalry is well and truly alive and kicking once again.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United

23 Jan: Manchester United 4-0 Hull City (Premier League)
19 Jan: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United (League Cup)
16 Jan: Manchester United 3-0 Burnley (Premier League)
9 Jan: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United (Premier League)
3 Jan: Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United (FA Cup)

Manchester City

24 Jan: Scunthorpe United 2-4 Manchester City (FA Cup)
19 Jan: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United (League Cup)
16 Jan: Everton 2-0 Manchester City (Premier League)
11 Jan: Manchester City 4-1 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
2 Jan: Middlesbrough 0-1 Manchester City (FA Cup)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United

United continue to be without influential Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic so Rio Ferdinand will likely continue in defence alongside Jonny Evans, given that his violent conduct charge is not likely to come into play until the weekend at the earliest.

Owen Hargreaves (knee) and John O'Shea (thigh) remain long-term injury casualties.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Evra, Evans, Ferdinand, Rafael; Giggs, Scholes, Fletcher, Valencia; Rooney, Berbatov.

Manchester City

Despite being involved in on-going negotiations with two Brazilian clubs, Robinho could still be involved at Old Trafford.

Possible starting XI: Given; Garrido, Richards, Toure, Zabaleta; Bellamy, Kompany, De Jong, Barry, Wright-Phillips; Tevez.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United – Wayne Rooney

Everything that Wayne Rooney has touched has turned to gold this season and he is certainly in the form of his life having already scored 20 goals this term. Many assumed that the Red Devils would struggle with life after Cristiano Ronaldo although Rooney has stepped up to the plate and taken on the goalscoring burden in emphatic fashion.

Fresh from his four-goal haul against Hull City on the weekend, the Citizens’ back four will really have to be on their game at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as stopping the England hit-man is going to be an unenviable task.

Manchester City – Carlos Tevez

Tevez was the hero of the hour in the eyes of City fans at Eastlands last week and his match-winning double will have certainly pierced the heart of United supporters who used to hold the Argentine in such high regard.

The one-time West Ham United striker certainly enjoyed proving a point to Messrs Ferguson and Neville and he will undoubtedly be desperate to rub salt into the wound on his former stomping ground. 

PREDICTION

City will be confident that they are capable of going to Old Trafford and putting on a performance although a Wayne Rooney-inspired United should be fired up and raring to go in front of their own fans which should just give them the edge on the night and, crucially, in the tie.

Manchester United 3–1 Manchester City