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It is the battle of Manchester this weekend when City take on United in a mouth-watering FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
The main news in the build up to this game has been the announcement that Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez will not be available due to a hamstring injury.
City’s top scorer will be out of action for three to four weeks, so Roberto Mancini’s men will have to progress to the FA Cup final without him.
This will of course be difficult, especially if their recent performance during the defeat at Anfield is anything to go by.
They were thoroughly outplayed by an Andy Carroll inspired Liverpool and will need to show much more desire and team spirit if they are to defeat an in-form Manchester United side.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are still on course for a famous treble season. They are currently top of the Premier League, competing with their local rivals City for a place in the FA Cup final and all set to take on Schalke 04 in the last four of the Champions League.
The last thing they would want is for the possibility of a treble to end at the hands of their rivals in blue. Manchester United boss Ferguson will get this message across to his players before the game, that’s for sure.
They have the players for this type of occasion though. Wayne Rooney may be missing through suspension, but in Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Edwin Van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand they have players that have been there and done it all before.
This is the advantage United have and why they are favourites to progress to the final. This season more than ever they have been able to get the job done and there is no way they fear Manchester City.
The blue half of Manchester will be desperate to get one over their rivals though as they search for their first piece of silverware since receiving heavy investment. If they can win the FA Cup and hold onto the 4th place in the Premier League, it would have been a successful season for them.
With Manchester United to get past, this is going to be far from easy, but they will give it everything they have got.
Whatever happens, it should be a thoroughly entertaining match between two teams desperate not to bow out of the FA Cup at this late stage.
