The new top-flight English domestic season kicks off just as the last one ended over two months ago—with a Manchester derby! Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will be seeking revenge as they face their fierce rivals Manchester United under the iconic Wembley arch, following the Red Devils’ surprise 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final in late May.

This time, the prize at stake is the Community Shield. Despite their recent dominance in English football, City has struggled in this particular competition, winning only six of their 15 appearances. Pep Guardiola’s men have lost the season’s curtain-raiser for three consecutive years, and no team has lost four in a row since Manchester United between 1998 and 2001.

On the other hand, United boasts an impressive record in the Community Shield with 21 wins and 9 losses. This will be their first participation since their first competitive match under José Mourinho in 2016. Notably, the Red Devils have won each of their last four appearances in the Community Shield, including a 3-2 victory over City in 2011, in what was only the second head-to-head encounter in this competition (with City winning the first).

Manager Erik ten Hag, who has secured silverware in both of his two campaigns, will be hoping that the FA Cup final victory has helped to erase the memories of an otherwise disappointing 2023/24 season for United. However, a shaky pre-season (with 2 wins and 3 losses) and the absence of new signings Leny Yoro and striker Rasmus Højlund at the start of the campaign suggest that the Dutchman has much work to do to restore optimism at Old Trafford.

Form Guide

Manchester City WWWWWL

In their last six matches, Manchester City has been in fine scoring form, netting a total of 17 goals. Impressively, they have managed to find the back of the net in each of those games. During this period, they’ve only conceded 4 goals, highlighting their solid defensive efforts as well.

Manchester Utd LWWLWW

Manchester United will be eager to replicate their recent success after their 2-1 FA Cup victory over Manchester City.

However, defensive issues have been a concern for United lately. They have struggled to keep clean sheets, with their defense being breached in 5 of their last 6 games, conceding a total of 9 goals during that period.

Manchester City vs Manchester Utd Predicted XI

Manchester City Predicted XI: Ortega, Akanji, Dias, Aké, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Bobb, Grealish, Haaland.

Manchester Utd Predicted XI: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee

Prediction

We believe that Manchester City has the capability to capitalize on numerous goal-scoring opportunities.

In contrast, Manchester United might find it challenging to break through City’s defense, although we do expect them to score at some point during the match.

Our prediction is a controlled 3-1 victory for Manchester City after 90 minutes.