After the final week of Champions and Europa League games, the focus in European football switches to the domestic game for the next few weeks and this weekend across Europe we have a couple of cracking derby games to enjoy with the Manchester and Madrid derbies topping the list of local rivalry games.
Although not strictly a local derby, Marseille take on Monaco in Ligue 1, while in England, Tottenham travel across London to face Crystal Palace, while in the midlands, Wolverhampton Wanderers will host their relatively local rivals from neighbouring Birmingham, Aston Villa. However, it is the games in Manchester and Madrid that will attract most betting attention as Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford while in Madrid, Real will take on league leaders Atletico.
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Let’s now take a look at both the big derby games coming up this weekend in Manchester and Madrid, giving you a preview of each game, before we bring you our top tips for each match.
Derby Weekend Tips – Saturday 12th December 2020
English Premier League
Manchester United v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Both these teams come into this game with a game in hand on almost all the teams in the Premier League due to them 
starting their season later than other teams. A win for either team could be enough to move them into fourth in the table, still with a game in hand over other teams. The teams last met at Old Trafford back in March 2020 and Manchester United emerged as the 2-0 winners on that day in what was a rare home win for this fixture in recent times.
Team Comparison
| Manchester United | Versus | Manchester City |
| 6th | League Position | 7th |
| 10 | Games Played | 10 |
| 6 | Won | 5 |
| 1 | Drawn | 3 |
| 3 | Lost | 2 |
| 19 | Goals Scored | 17 |
| 17 | Goals Conceded | 11 |
| W W W W L | EPL Form | W W L D W |
| 1-1-3 | Home Record (WDL) | 3-1-1 |
| 5-0-0 | Away Record (WDL) | 2-2-1 |
| Fernandes (7) | Leading Scorer (Gls) | Mahrez (4) |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Manager | Pep Guardiola |
Match Preview
Two sides seeking to clamber to the top of the table meet at Old Trafford in what could be a decisive game for both sides. A win moves them onto the fringes of the title race. A defeat could leave them with a lot of ground to make up. United’s form has been the slightly better of the two teams of late in the EPL, but their defeat to Leipzig in the week will be a big blow. City know that another defeat here could be a big problem with Liverpool and Tottenham looking strong at the top of the table so expect a feisty encounter on Saturday night.
Predicted Teams
- Manchester United – (5-3-2) – De Gea, Wan Bissaka, Telles, Maguire, Lindelof, Tuanzebe, McTominay, Fred, Fernandez, Rashford, Greenwood
- Manchester City – (4-3-3) – Ederson, Cancelo, Mendy, Dias, Laporte, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero
Tips for the Manchester Derby
Recent form in this fixture suggests it is the away team that has enjoyed the most success, even if the last game at Old Trafford between the two ended in a United victory. For me, with United still hung over from their Champions League exit in midweek, and City able to rest players for their Champions League game having already qualified, I think the situation favours City, the history of the fixture in recent times favours City and I just feel at home United have been so poor this season that City must fancy their chances here. So I am backing City to win at 8/11, although you could always do a Manchester City to win and both teams to score bet at 12/5.
Another bet I like the look of is the Anytime Scorecast bet with Bruno Fernandes to score at any time for Man Utd, but Manchester City to win 2-1, which is a 30/1 shot with bet365.
La Liga
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (8.00pm)
Can Real half Atletico’s climb towards the title this weekend? Los Blancos have not enjoyed the best of starts, losing three
games already in La Liga to lie six points behind their city rivals, and Atletico also have a game in hand on Real. Lose this, and Atletico would be nine clear of Real with a game in hand too, and that could be to big a deficit to bridge in the second half of the season. The question is if Real can breach Atletico’s stern defence which has conceded just 2 goals in La Liga this season.
Team Comparison
| Real Madrid | Versus | Atletico Madrid |
| 4th | League Position | 1st |
| 11 | Games Played | 10 |
| 6 | Won | 8 |
| 2 | Drawn | 2 |
| 3 | Lost | 0 |
| 17 | Goals Scored | 21 |
| 12 | Goals Conceded | 2 |
| W L D L W | La Liga Form | W W W W W |
| 2-0-2 | Home Record (WDL) | 5-1-0 |
| 4-2-1 | Away Record (WDL) | 3-1-0 |
| Benzema (4) | Leading Scorer (Gls) | Felix, Suarez (5) |
| Zinedine Zidane | Manager | Diego Simeone |
Match Preview
With Barcelona and Real Madrid well below their best in La Liga this season, Atletico have taken a firm grip of the title race, with a lead at the top of the table and two games in hand over most teams around them. Real know, defeat here could genuinely be the end of their title hopes, especially given how tight the Atletico defence has been this season in La Liga. A defeat isn’t as harmful for Atletico, but they won’t want their local rivals to get one over on them.
Predicted Teams
- Real Madrid – (4-3-3) – Courtois, Mendy, Vazquez, Varane, Nacho, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Rodrugo, Vinicus Junior, Benzema
- Atletico Madrid (3-5-2) – Oblak, Savic, Felipe, Hermoso, Trippier, Vitolo, Herrera, Saul, Lemar, Correa, Suarez.
Tips for the Madrid Derby
Atletico have been imperious in La Liga this season, but their form in Europe hasn’t been that great, however this will be one of their toughest assignments of the season and if they can come through this unbeaten, having already played Barcelona and beaten them at home, then they would be in a enviable position in the La Liga title race. Real won’t lie down though and I fancy them to grab one goal, but I also feel Ateltico will do likewise, so the draw at 9/4 with bet365 is a good bet here.
You can also back the draw and both teams to score at 7/2 with bet365 at the moment, while Benzema to score for Real Madrid and the game to finish 1-1 is a 14/1 shot.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 as of 11.50am on Wednesday 9th December 2020.
