“Manchester derby assessment: Pep Guardiola’s troubles won’t be enough to rescue Ruben Amorim’s struggling Manchester United.”

“There’s turmoil in Manchester—but for whom, Chris Kamara?

A run of just one win in 10 matches might sound like the kind of struggle Manchester United fans have endured in recent years. Surprisingly, though, it’s Manchester City who are enduring the worst form of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career. Their 2-0 Champions League loss to Juventus on Wednesday highlighted an unfamiliar crisis for the reigning four-time Premier League champions.

Meanwhile, United scraped a 2-1 comeback victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. However, the grim reality for Ruben Amorim is that his side sits 13th in the league and could still miss out on the top half of the table even if they manage to add to City’s misery in this must-win derby. Here’s how Mirror Football’s experts view the game:

John Cross:

It’s strange to preview a Manchester derby with one team in crisis and the other stuck in mid-table. Typically, that’s United in both cases, but this time, it’s City struggling under Guardiola.

I keep expecting City to snap out of this slump and dominate again, but they seem hampered by an ageing squad. Honestly, whose idea was a podcast titled “You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker”? They clearly need a rebuild.

United, under Amorim, are still finding their feet. His claim that the players are better than we think hasn’t aged well. I expect City, with an extra day’s recovery, to narrowly win this derby. Despite their recent struggles, they showed promise against Juventus, though they lacked a cutting edge.

Andy Dunn:

The old saying that form doesn’t matter in derbies might be Guardiola’s only hope. City’s sole win in 10 games came against Nottingham Forest, and even in that match, Forest created 10 chances at the Etihad. United will undoubtedly exploit City’s fragile defense, particularly on the counter.

City still dominate possession, but their struggles to convert it into goals—and their leaky defense—are costing them dearly. With Rasmus Højlund finding form, I believe United will capitalize, scoring multiple goals to edge what could be a scrappy but

exciting game.”