The big day is finally upon us. There are only a handful of matches to go and most believe this to be the last realistic chance that Manchester City have of fluffing their lines in the run in to 12 May.
Around the globe age-old rivalries are buried (or at least just set aside for the time being) as the Reds will throw their full support behind their arch nemeses – Man United – to trip up their league rivals for 2019 glory.
Liverpool have enjoyed a stellar year, losing on merely one occasion, and are on route to chalking up 100 league points yet could be left the bridesmaid should City keep the good times rolling until the final whistle sounds in less than a month’s time. Having not won the league in 18 years one can understand how the men from Merseyside are contemplating making a deal with the Devil(s) come Wednesday evening. Enter the ultimate league “decider”…
The defending champions come into this one not exactly firing on all cylinders. Early talk was centred around whether this could be the very best Man City team to ever be assembled. There were realistic targets of a quadruple spoken about as well. Yet the bubble is wearing thin and in danger of bursting completely. Knocked out of the UEFA Champions League the Citizens now need to refocus and ensure they bring home the silverware that matters – the League Trophy – or what promised to be a record breaking year a few months ago could turn into a dismal one, by their high standards.
Manchester United have been on a rollercoaster this past season. They went through dips and turmoil which eventually led to the Special one getting a special boot up the backside. Under caretaker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer' the Red Devils made a dramatic u-turn and charged back into contention for a top four finish. Fast forward a month or two and United have losses to Arsenal, Wolverhampton and an Everton drubbing under their belts to go with a 4-0 aggregate loss to Barcelona. Gunnar’s honeymoon is well and truly over. Those from the Red side of Manchester will be quick to tell you that the last thing they would want to see is Liverpool winning another League title. Yet they also won’t want to lose to their city rivals and crucially the Red Devils need to keep winning to secure a coveted Champions League top 4 spot. So conspiracy theorists from Liverpool can sleep easy knowing that the other men in red will be going full effort to secure a win here.
How things will play out: Manchester United have not tasted league defeat at Old Trafford since the start of the calendar year and only lost one Champions League game (0-1) to Barcelona. City at their absolute best could threaten to cut the home side’s defence to shreds but they look to be feeling the effects of a long season. I reckon the most likely result for this one is a draw.
Bets:
Double Chance – Man United or Draw @ 2.80 with BETOLIMP
Exact Score – 1:1 @ 9.00 with BETOLIMP
(Note, all odds quoted are subject to change)
