Features

Epic derby battles remembered

Author: John Harris
Date: 20/09/2009
Football betting

Manchester rivals United and City clash for the first time this season at the weekend after a summer of bitching and sniping at each other.

With both sides having recently beating Arsenal in the Premier League, the Citizens and Red Devils occupy places in the top-four after promising starts to their campaigns.

Over the years there have been many epic battles between the two rivals and here we pick the bones of a few of these as the heat turns up in the north-west city ahead of the game at Old Trafford which United are the online favourites to win.

United 0-1 City, 27 April 1974 - With United needing to win to have any chance to stay in the Old First Division, former Red Devil legend Denis Law was playing for City and scored a back-heeled winner to confirm the Old Trafford giants' demise. Law trudged off the pitch. head bowed and didn't play another professional game after the goal.

Who will emerge victorious at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon? - Latest Football Betting

City 5-1 United, 23 September 1989 - The Blue half of Manchester tasted derby day success as United crumbled under Sir Alex Ferguson. Leading 3-0 at the interval, the hosts added more misery on their more illustrious neighbours and shouts of "Fergie Out!" rang around the ground. A good job the United board didn't listen.

United 1-1 City, 21 April 2001 - With the game meandering towards a draw, Roy Keane saw the red mist as he charged toward Alfe Inge Haaland and wiped him out with a kung-fu style assault. The history between the two men was explosive. Keane snapped his cruciate ligament playing against Haaland's former club Leeds United in 1997 and, while writhing on the ground in agony, Haaland hovered over the instrumental Irishman and claimed he was feigning injury. Keane got his own back and Haaland's injury went a long way towards ending his career. Incidentally referee David Elleray issued a red card for the challenge. Keane later found himself in more trouble after admitting to wanting to hurt the Norwegian in his 2002 autobiography.

United 1-2 City, 10 February 2008 - Although City claimed a rare three points at Old Trafford, the contest was remembered more for the poignant minute's silence for those who perished during the Munich Air Disaster 50 years earlier. Ferguson and City counterpart Sven-Goran Eriksson laid wreaths on the pitch before Darius Vassell and Benjani put City into a commanding lead before a late Michael Carrick consolation effort halved the deficit.

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