Women’s match preview: City v United
Manchester United Women take on local rivals Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash in the Women’s Super League on Friday night.
The match sees us face the Citizens for the third time this season following the reverse 2-2 draw in November and our Continental League Cup meeting.
And as we make the short trip to the Etihad Campus, here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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The match will be broadcast live in the UK on BT Sport 2 with kick-off at 19:00 GMT. Alternatively, you can tune into MUTV from 21:15 GMT to watch the game in full.
FORM GUIDE
As mentioned, United will be eager to improve on last Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Reading which inflicted a first home defeat of the season.
Before that, Stoney’s side had won the previous two league matches following our only other league defeat this season to current leaders Chelsea on January 17.
A win could move us back level on points with the Blues at the top of the table.
City sit one place below United in third and come into the fixture in good form, winning their last six league games as well as both legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League round-of-32-tie with Goteborg in December.
Gareth Taylor’s side have lost only once in that period - a 4-2 defeat to Chelsea which knocked them out of the Continental Cup.
TEAM NEWS
The Reds could be without Heath, Alessia Russo, Lucy Staniforth, Lauren James and Kirsty Smith for Friday's derby.
HEAD TO HEAD
The last two meetings between the sides both came in November, most recently a 4-3 penalty win in the Continental Cup for the Reds following a goalless draw at Leigh Sports Village on November 19.
We also met in the league just five days prior, as second-half goals from Tobin Heath and Kirsty Hanson helped salvage a 2-2 draw for the Reds after we trailed by two goals at the break.
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WHO ELSE IS IN ACTION?
There are three other WSL matches taking place this weekend, all of which are on Sunday.
FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY
Manchester City v UNITED (19:00 GMT)
SUNDAY 14 BEBRUARY
Aston Villa vs Arsenal (14:00 GMT)
Reading vs Everton (14:00 GMT)
Bristol City vs Chelsea (15:00 GMT)