It is fair to say that the two big football clubs in Manchester have been enjoying very different experiences in the Champions League this season.

City have been largely untroubled in Group C, picking up 13 points from their five matches to secure their place in the round of 16.

By contrast, United are under the cosh in Group H, and a defeat in their final game against RB Leipzig would see them crash out of the competition.

For fans who have been contemplating using Champions League Final betting offers, we assess which Manchester team is more likely to progress to Istanbul.

City Cash in on Favourable Draw

Pep Guardiola’s side will finish top of Group C despite being held to their first-ever goalless draw in the group stages by Porto earlier this week.

City have taken advantage of an easy draw to sweep into the knockout phase, and they will fancy their chances of making further progress.

Guardiola was able to rotate his squad against Porto, and he will have a similar luxury at home Marseille in the final group game.

Securing top spot is undoubtedly advantageous for City as they will potentially have an easier route to the final.

United Hanging by a Thread

The Red Devils’ disappointing 2-1 defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir earlier in the group could prove to be extremely costly in the final reckoning.

Their 3-1 loss at home to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday has not helped matters and their hopes of reaching the last 16 are hanging in the balance.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s failure to substitute Fred against PSG with the midfielder walking a disciplinary tightrope was a brainless error, and could come back to haunt the United boss.

The trip to RB Leipzig on Matchday 6 will not be easy, with the German side unbeaten in all competitions at home this season.

Big Guns Safely Through

Winning Group C theoretically improves City’s hopes of progressing to the final, and they will be eager to take full advantage.

Avoiding the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Barcelona until the later stages of the tournament should enhance their chances of making it to Istanbul.

United’s defeat against PSG means they may end up second in their group, and that would make things much trickier in the knockout stage.

Although there are some potentially ‘easier ties’ to be had in the round of 16, it would be a brave move to back United in any game given their inconsistent nature.

Shocks on the Cards?

One factor that could benefit both City and United is the number of fancied teams who could be knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Lazio are amongst the teams who are yet to book their places in the last 16 of the competition.

Both Manchester clubs would relish meetings with the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach, Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Salzburg or Atalanta, particularly if one or more made it through to the quarter-finals.

Lyon and Leipzig proved last season that supposedly smaller clubs can go a long way in the Champions League, and there could be more shocks this time around.

Prediction: As things stand, City look far better equipped to progress to the Champions League Final than United.

While the likes of Marcus Rashford have impressed for the Red Devils, too many of his teammates have underperformed.

If City can avoid injuries to key players, particularly in defence, they may well feature in the final in Turkey next May.

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