Manchester United v Manchester City: EFL Cup semi-final free tip & prediction

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Manchester United v Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Manchester City to win by one goal
1pt 11-4 BoyleSports, RedZone, Sky Bet
Back this tip with bet365 here

Team news

Manchester United
Midfielders Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba are out and Harry Maguire is a major doubt. Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard missed the FA Cup trip to Wolves through illness but should return.

Manchester City
Aymeric Laporte is back in training but will not be rushed back to action. Leroy Sane is the only player currently sidelined with Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho among those who should return to the starting 11.

Match preview

The EFL Cup isn't top of most clubs' priority list at the start of the season but Tuesday's night's semi-final first leg at Old Trafford has taken on plenty of significance for Manchester City and Manchester United.

City swept all before them in England last season, winning the domestic treble, but they are 22-1 to retain their Premier League title having slipped 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola's appetite for silverware must be sated by the Champions League and the domestic cups and his side eased past Sky Bet League Two side Port Vale 4-1 in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

City are hot favourites to gain a first-leg advantage at Old Trafford and they will be taking nothing for granted after December's surprise home defeat to United in the league.

That 2-1 success capped a great week for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose side had beaten Jose Mourinho's Tottenham three days earlier, but that double delight proved to be a false dawn for the under-pressure United boss.

Solskjaer's 2020 started with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day before a forgettable goalless draw at Wolves in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Red Devils failed to muster a shot on target at Molineux, where Marcus Rashford's deflected effort against the crossbar was the closest they came to breaking the deadlock.

It is no surprise, then, that transfer gossip suggests United are desperate to boost their creativity in midfield this month.

Paul Pogba, strongly linked with a move away from Manchester, has suffered a fresh ankle injury and it is hard to see United keeping tabs on City if the game opens up.

More often that not these first legs are cagey contests but there is no doubt that City have the superior individual talents in midfield and attack and that could earn them a narrow first-leg lead.

Since their home defeat to United, Pep's men have won seven of their eight games and the exception was the 3-2 defeat at Wolves where they went 2-0 up despite having goalkeeper Ederson sent off in the 12th minute.

The hosts are unlikely to make things easy for City so the odds about an away win by a one-goal margin look tempting.