PREDICTIONS: What Do Journos And Fans Think Of Tonight?

Oliver Holt – Chief Sports Writer at The Mirror
City will go for it but United have experience and quality to match them. Ability of United’s defence to cope with City attack will be key. 1-1.

Lee Clayton – Head of Sport at The Daily Mail
Rooney to score. I’m loving his calmness and his focus. There’s no better player in England right now. This is his game to own. City to score first in 1-1 draw.

Nick Coppack – ManUtd.com journalist
The “biggest ever Manchester derby” surely can’t live up to the hype. A tense and turgid affair will end 0-0.

Steve Bartram – Contributing Editor for ManUtd.com, United Review and Inside United.
Midfield congestion. Nervous first hour, frantic last half-hour. Whoever has enough energy left or makes better subs will take the points. If City win, I’d be intrigued to see how they’d cope with having pressure and no margin for error in final two games, if United win both.

Mark Ogden – Northern Football Correspondent at The Telegraph
I fancy City because they have to win and that makes a difference. They also have better players in key positions. Being at home also helps. If United treat it like a Champions League game (not this season’s form, obviously!) it could go their way. Whatever, it’ll be massively tense!

Barney – Editor of Red News
The long drag over! Refuse to believe a Ferguson led side will let us down. He is the added factor. Players need to right themselves. It will all be good!

United Rant – United blog
City’s midfield superiority should tell. Neither Scholes not Carrick do well when out-manned or out-muscled. Both may happen on Monday. United have enough players to produce a moment in the game. It’s last chance saloon now – one of Fergie’s big players will grab a goal 1-1

Annie Eaves – Writer for Sport Witness
1-1. Both sides will be nervous. Perhaps an early goal for either side and the game slows, equaliser towards end.

James Maw – Writer/Online Features Editor for FourFourTwo
The pressure’s on City – how they handle that will be key. But on current form they should create chances, and I suspect they may just edge it 2-1.

Rob Dawson – Football writer at the Manchester Evening News
A lot depends on whether United set up with 2 or 3 in midfield. I think Fergie will go 4-4-2 which will make for a more open game. 2-2.

Sam Pilger – Sports Writer for FourFourTwo, The Times Magazine and Esquire.
In my worst nightmares Tevez gets a late winner, but I think it will probably be a nervy, tense affair in which we secure a 1-1 draw.

Howard Nurse – BBC Sport website Football Editor
Can’t make my mind up. 1-0 to United.

Mark Tattersall – City fan
Initially cagey with main battles being Agüero & Tévez v Ferdinand & Evans and Valencia v Clichy. Nasri or Welbeck to score winner in 2-1.

Lauren Wyke – United U15s
2-1 to United.