Match preview: Manchester United vs Manchester City
- Isla Smith
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
This Wednesday will see the second Manchester derby in four days as Manchester United take on Manchester City at Leigh Sports Village in the quarter final of the Women’s League Cup.
With last Sundays match proving to be a shock to many WSL fans, all eyes are on Wednesday’s clash between the two sides, with much higher hopes among the Red Devils.
The winner of this match will play the winner of Brighton and Hove Albion versus Arsenal in the semi finals of the league cup before potentially playing in the final at Pride Park in Derby.
The history of the clash
Manchester City were victim to a 4-2 thumping from Manchester United at the weekend with a hat-trick from England international, Ella Toone.
A tap in from Leah Galton sealed the 3 points, but Manchester hasn’t always been red.
The teams have met a total of 16 times since Manchester United Women were founded in 2018, with the reds winning 4 matches, the blues winning 8 and a further 4 ending in a draw.
Recent form:
Manchester City have been struck with an injury curse in recent months, with key players like club captain Alex Greenwood and golden boot winner Bunny Shaw facing extended spells on the sideline due to injury.
As a result of this, their recent form reflects their players' absences, with the loss against Manchester United this weekend causing them to drop to fourth in the league.
As well as this, a 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the UEFA Women’s Champions League before the Christmas break saw the team finish the group stage in second place, meaning they’ll play a “harder” team in the quarter finals.
On the other hand, Manchester United have been in stellar form recently, with the come back of Ella Toone only strengthening that. Sunday’s win saw the team rise to third in the league, making them in contention for next seasons UWCL.
The team has won all five of their last matches, including a 4-0 win over Liverpool in the WSL in early December.
Their last loss came against Chelsea, also in the league, where a penalty from Guro Reiten saw the side drop the three points.
Ones to watch:
Manchester City brought in a wealth of experience in Jill Roord in the summer of 2023 and since coming back from ACL surgery in September and has been in top form from then on.
Her first goal back came against Aston Villa in the WSL and she went on to score two more goals in her next two matches.
Her midfield expertise have been proven to be a strength for the blue side particularly alongside the likes of Yui Hasegawa.
After returning to the club from loan in the summer, Grace Clinton has been a standout star for the red Devils midfield.
Though she started the last match on the bench and received minimal minutes her recent form has earnt her the approval of England manager, Sarina Wiegman.
With four goals to her name this season, Clinton will be looking to extend the tally on Wednesday night and do the double over Manchester City.
Where to watch:
Wednesday nights derby will be broadcast on the Barclays Women’s Super League YouTube channel at 19:00 GMT, with it also being available via MUTV.
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