Manchester United “have enough quality” to hurt Manchester City and collect a vital derby victory, says Quinton Fortune.
The Red Devils head into a crunch clash at Old Trafford on Sunday sat eight points behind their arch-rivals in the Premier League table.
Defeat will leave Jose Mourinho’s side with a mountain to climb if they are to claim the top-flight crown, while a win will fire them back to within touching distance.
Fortune believes United will edge an eagerly-anticipated encounter, with there encouragement to be taken from City’s recent performances despite Pep Guardiola’s team grinding out results.
The former Red Devils midfielder told Sky Sports: "First of all I can't see United losing against City, I think United will win.
"They are playing a fantastic team but there's been signs in the last couple of weeks against West Ham and Huddersfield where I thought they were very fortunate.
"You can see in their game play that there's opportunities for United to capitalise on that. They have some fantastic players, but who will be fit?
"Then there's the big one - Paul Pogba - I think he would have made a big difference but I still think United have enough quality to win the game.
"It's too early [to call it a title decider] but in terms of 11 points, it'll make it harder for United to catch them."
Getty Images
While the eyes of the world will be locked on events taking place on the field, off it Mourinho and Guardiola will engage in tactical warfare.
Fortune considers both men to be at the peak of their powers, with their contrasting styles helping to make a managerial duel even more intriguing.
"Any footballer would say to play under Pep would be a dream," added the South African.
"I talk to some of the lads about Jose Mourinho in terms of preparation and his attention to detail. A lot of people seem to think he's defensive-minded but I think he's just doing it his way and he's getting results."
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)