Manchester City vs Manchester United. Premier League.
Etihad StadiumAttendance54,176.
Thursday 27 April 2017 19:14, UK
The stakes are high in the third Manchester derby of the season, with Champions League qualification points on the line as Man City host Man Utd, live on Sky Sports.
City, fourth in the Premier League, are just a point ahead of their rivals, who have not lost in the competition since October.
Guardiola said: "They are good, good rivals, good quality, in good form. They've had big series without defeat in the Premier League. They have a lot of quality, history. We're looking forward to the game."
A win on Thursday would lift United above City and into the top four, but Jose Mourinho said stealing a march on their neighbours would only be relevant if it meant they secured Champions League football - which they can still achieve by winning the Europa League.
"It means nothing. If we finish fifth and they finish sixth and we are above them it means nothing," he added.
"If they finish third and we finish fourth they are above us, but it means a lot.
"This is not about Pep (Guardiola), this is not about City, it is about fighting for objectives. We want to play Champions League football and we still have two doors open."
Team news
Paul Pogba will miss the derby after sustaining a muscular injury in Sunday's win at Burnley.
Chris Smalling (knee) and Phil Jones (foot) are still not fit while Juan Mata (groin), Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo (both knee) have longer-term problems.
Full-back Antonio Valencia returns after missing the last two matches.
City playmaker David Silva is doubtful after suffering a hamstring injury in the FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal.
Striker Sergio Aguero seems to have a better chance of featuring after a knock in the same game while fellow forward Gabriel Jesus could return after more than two months out with a broken bone in his foot.
Defenders John Stones and Bacary Sagna are hoping to overcome muscle injuries but Ilkay Gundogan (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Opta facts
The last time these two sides met on a Thursday in the Premier League was in November 1994, with United winning 5-0 thanks to an Andrei Kanchelskis hat-trick
Mourinho has failed to win any of his last four Premier League games against City (D2 L2) - this after winning six successive top-flight encounters with the Citizens between December 2005 and February 2014
The United boss has won just four of his 18 meetings with Guardiola (D6 L8), but the Portuguese won the last encounter with his Spanish opponent - a 1-0 win in the EFL Cup back in October
Guardiola could become the fourth manager to win both home and away Manchester derbies in a debut top-flight season after John Bentley, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Manuel Pellegrini
Wayne Rooney has scored 11 goals in Manchester derbies (all comps) - more than any other player in the history of this fixture - but hasn't scored in any of his last five
Sergio Aguero has now scored in five successive Premier League appearances for City and could equal his best such-run in the competition with a goal in this match (six appearances in a row between April-May 2016)
Aguero has scored eight goals in 10 competitive appearances for City against United but has failed to score in his last two games against them
City have only lost one of their 15 home league games this season, but only neighbours United (9) have drawn more home games than them in the top flight this season (6)
Only Alan Shearer (190) has scored in more different Premier League games than Rooney (149 - level with Frank Lampard and Andrew Cole)
United are unbeaten in 23 league matches and if they avoid defeat in this match they'll equal their longest-ever unbeaten run in the top flight within a single season (24 games in 2010-11)
Merson's prediction
Fair play to Manchester United, they are rolling along at the moment. Game after game they pick up crucial wins. I watched them against Anderlecht and I thought the Belgium side were well on top in the first half, but United just find a way to win. They dig in, stay in the game and build from there. Going to Burnley is not easy but they put a performance in and won again.
This is a big, big game. Whoever loses this game will be out of the race for the top four. This is winner takes all and it's as simple as that.
Manchester City's confidence will be shot after the defeat to Arsenal in the cup on Sunday but I think United's advantage comes from having Marcus Rashford up front. If Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been playing up front I would have gone for City but Rashford's pace could be a real problem for Pep Guardiola's side.
With this game, I'm trying to think about which team can stop the other but in truth I can't see either side blunting the other. I don't think City will be able to live with Rashford's pace and then you look at the other side and with Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling in the side, they will always score goals. With both teams needing all three points, I see this being a gung-ho encounter with plenty of goals.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-3
Betting
City are marginally odds-on at 5/6 with Sky Bet, who consider United 16/5 outsiders, while pricing the draw at 13/5. Guardiola's men are also far shorter odds in the top-four betting with United 15/8, although the visitors are odds-on to qualify for the Champions League by lifting the Europa League trophy. Aguero is joined by Gabriel Jesus at the head of the first goalscorer betting at 7/2 amid the Brazilian's potential comeback, while Rashford follows at 6/1 to break the deadlock.
