This Sunday's Manchester derby will be about more than just bragging rights as some are dubbing the match a showdown for the last remaining Champions League spot.
Both Manchester City and Manchester United have slipped behind in their Premier League objectives as Manuel Pellegrini's side are fourth in the table, 12 points behind leaders Leicester City, while Louis van Gaal's men are sixth, four points off fourth.
City will host United at the Etihad Stadium in the hope of claiming just their second league win in six games, while the Red Devils look to bounce back from their defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
Manchester City
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Pellegrini's side were heavily tipped as contenders for the Premier League title at the start of the season, and even more so when reigning champions Chelsea filtered down the standings.
However, they have failed to maintain their 'favourites' tag as they are now 12 points off the pace, while Leicester City are leading the way.
The North-West outfit have only managed to win one of their last five league games and that was a 4-0 win over lowly Aston Villa, who are rooted to the bottom of the table.
City slipped up in the title race when they suffered defeat to their title rivals Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur in back-to-back matches, and they failed to carry their momentum from winning the League Cup as they were undone 3-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in the following game.
The team have failed to score in their last two games in all competitions, but they head into this weekend's showdown having qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Manchester derbies are always big games in the calendar, but the result of Sunday's match could prove to be crucial as both are vying for a spot in next season's European tournament.
City may hold fourth position at the moment, but West Ham United are just two points behind them, and with nine games in the domestic season left to go, the final Champions League spot is definitely up for grabs.
Pellegrini will depart the Etihad Stadium in the summer to make way for Pep Guardiola, and given that the Premier League crown is edging further and further away, their only hope of major silverware this season could be the Champions League.
The Chilean boss may prioritise that competition as he wants to leave City on a high, but make no mistake, he will understand the magnitude of Sunday's game against his neighbours.
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Recent form (all competitions): WWLWDD
Manchester United
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These days it seems that every United game will decide Van Gaal's future as manager, but perhaps this Sunday's clash could actually influence his position at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman has come under criticism numerous times this season for his tactics, his team's lacklustre displays and unfavourable results in both the Premier League and cup games.
Last month, it seemed as though United had turned a corner as they grabbed three victories on the bounce - one was against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup, another against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League and the third was a 3-2 win over Arsenal.
The Red Devils claimed back-to-back league wins for the first time since November when Juan Mata scored in the 83rd minute to give the team a 1-0 win over Watford on March 2.
The winning run did not last long, though, as they were undone by a single goal from Salomon Rondon in their league match against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns almost a fortnight ago.
As well as losing the game, Mata was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 26th minute and was forced to miss out on last weekend's 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
United now find themselves sixth in the Premier League table, four points behind their rivals City, who sit in the final Champions League spot, with nine matches left to play.
The team were also dealt a blow on Thursday when they were knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool at Old Trafford.
The club's inconsistency and failure to produce more than a handful of shots on target in a match gives a sense of uncertainty ahead of this weekend's fixture, and they have not lost three successive league games away at City since 1995.
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Team News
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City will be without their influential captain Vincent Kompany this weekend after he suffered a calf injury early into his side's stalemate against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Belgian has had a stop-start season due to injuries and it looks as though he will spend another lengthy spell on the treatment table, and there is doubt over his centre-back partner Nicolas Otamendi, who was also substituted with injury in the midweek game.
Raheem Sterling has not started the last three games, but he could be in line for a return at the expense of Jesus Navas, who could drop to the bench.
As for United, Bastian Schweinsteiger has returned to fitness following a spell on the sidelines and could feature, but there will be no place for Wayne Rooney as he is not scheduled to return to action until after the international break.
Ander Herrera is a doubt with a groin injury, which forced him out of Thursday's European tie, but Ashley Young and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson are closing in on comebacks.
Mata is available for the game as he has served a one-match suspension following his sending-off against West Brom.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Sterling, Toure, Silva; Aguero
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Rojo; Carrick, Fellaini; Rashford, Lingard, Mata; Martial
Head To Head
City have won four and lost just one of their last six Premier League matches against United, but nothing could separate the two sides in their last outing at Old Trafford.
The match in October ended in a goalless draw, which was the first recorded between the two in five years.
The last time that these two sides played one another at the Etihad Stadium was on November 2, 2014 when Sergio Aguero scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute.
United have failed to win any of their last five meetings with City.
We say: Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United
Both teams are struggling for consistency at the moment and while we have had some high-scoring games in the past, neither side could muster a goal in this fixture at Old Trafford earlier in the season. City have failed to find the back of the net in their last two games, while United have struggled for shots on target. It could be a tight game with not much between them, but given that City have the home advantage, they could nick it with a single goal.
Danielle Joynson
