- Fixture: Manchester City vs Manchester United — Sunday 14 Sep 2025, kick-off 16:30 BST at the Etihad Stadium.
- Manchester United injury news: Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot ruled out; Altay Bayindir expected to start in goal.
- Manchester City news: several absences (Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri reported out; goalkeeper situation: Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived and could debut vs James Trafford).
Likely starting XIs used for the simulation
Manchester City (4-3-3 — Pep Guardiola)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (simulated start / Donnarumma debut possibility reported).
RB: Matheus Nunes / Rico Lewis (simulated as Matheus Nunes) — (news indicated competition).
CBs: Rúben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov (or Josko Gvardiol rotated) — simulated Dias + Khusanov.
LB: Josko Gvardiol (if fit) / alternative — simulated Gvardiol.
CMs: Rodri (holding), Tijjani Reijnders (box-to-box), Kevin Silva (creative #8).
Front 3: Jeremy Doku (left), Erling Haaland (centre), Savinho (right).
Manchester United (4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3 hybrid — Rúben Amorim)
GK: Altay Bayindir.
RB: Patrick Dorgu (covering for Dalot).
CBs: Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro (or Harry Maguire; simulation uses De Ligt + Yoro).
LB: Luke Shaw.
Mid: Casemiro (defensive), Kobbie Mainoo (box-to-box), Bruno Fernandes (10).
Attack: Bryan Mbeumo (left/false nine hybrid), Benjamin Šeško (central striker/simulated), Amad Diallo (right).
Full 90+ minute simulated match (minute-by-minute key events)
Kick-off — 0’: Etihad is rocking. City in sky blue, United in their away strip. Referee: (sim) Anthony Taylor (official listed on PL site).
5’ — Early City pressure. Rodri sprays a pass to Doku; overlap from Nunes creates space but City can’t convert the cross. City 60% possession early.
9’ — GOAL (City) — 1–0
Haaland times his run, gets on the end of a clipped Reijnders → Haaland heads low inside the near post after a pinpoint cross from Savinho. Donnarumma (or Trafford if Pep selected him) gets a hand to it but it’s over the line. (Assist: Savinho.)
14’ — Yellow card (United): Casemiro booked for a tactical foul on Haaland after a fast City transition.
21’ — United respond: Bruno Fernandes floats a free-kick to the far post; De Ligt rises but header is saved by Donnarumma in a good reaction save.
28’ — Chance (United) — Šeško flicks a header through to Mbeumo, who dribbles into the box and fires — blocked at point-blank range by Dias.
33’ — Subtle tactical shift: Guardiola pushes Silva higher to press United’s build-up. City regain momentum.
38’ — GOAL (United) — 1–1 (pen)
Bruno Fernandes drives into the box, is clipped by a trailing leg from Nunes — penalty awarded after VAR check (tight call). Fernandes steps up and scores low to Donnarumma’s left. 1–1.
45+1’ — Half-time: City 1 — 1 United. Stats at HT (sim): Possession 56% City, 44% United; Shots 7–4 (City lead); Corners 4–2.
46’ — Second half begins. No half-time subs.
52’ — Big chance (City) — Haaland bundles into space after a scramble; his half-volley is superbly tipped onto the bar by Bayindir. Corner follows, but United clear.
58’ — Tactical subs (Sim): Amorim brings on fresh legs — Kobbie Mainoo moves slightly deeper; Benjamin Šeško hard to contain, United shift to more direct counters.
62’ — GOAL (City) — 2–1
Counter from City. Reijnders plays a low ball into Haaland; he flicks it to Doku, who curls a perfect left-footed shot into the top corner. 2–1 City.
68’ — Substitution (City) — Pep introduces a defensive change: fullback swap to preserve width. (Simulated: Ait-Nouri still injured, so Pep brings on a cautious midfield sub.)
73’ — VAR incident — goal disallowed (United)
Bruno Fernandes fires after a corner, Šeško nudges home, but VAR rules Šeško marginally offside in the build-up. United protests but decision stands.
77’ — GOAL (United) — 2–2
United do well from a set piece: Luke Shaw swings a wicked corner to the near post; De Ligt beats Dias and heads home. 2–2.
81’ — Momentum swings; both managers chasing the game. Crowd noise is deafening.
85’ — GOAL (City) — 3–2
Pep’s fresh sub (Savinho involved earlier) creates space down the right again. A clipped cross finds Haaland who finishes clinically from six yards. Haaland now on a brace. 3–2 City.
88’ — Yellow card (City): Reijnders for dissent after a spirited United attack is thwarted.
90’ + 2’ — United push for equaliser, Casemiro makes a last-ditch tackle to stop a dangerous Haaland break.
90+4’ — GOAL (United) — 3–3 (dramatic)
In stoppage time Bruno Fernandes conjures magic: a brilliant individual run, shimmies past two defenders and curls a sublime shot from outside the box into the top corner. 3–3.
Final whistle — Full-time: Manchester City 3 — 3 Manchester United.
Final simulated scoreline
Manchester City 3–3 Manchester United
Goals: Haaland (9′, 85′) & Doku (62′) — Bruno Fernandes (38′ pen, 90+4′), De Ligt (77′) & (Šeško disallowed earlier).
Key simulated match stats (approximate, fictional)
- Possession: City 58% — United 42%
- Shots (on target): City 14 (7) — United 11 (6)
- Corners: City 7 — United 5
- Fouls: City 9 — United 12
- Yellow cards: City 2 — United 1
- Man of the Match (simulation): Bruno Fernandes (goal + massive influence late) — close call with Erling Haaland (2 goals).
Short tactical analysis (simulation)
- City: Pep set up with high possession and overloads on the right, looking to release Haaland in behind. Their vulnerability came from quick transitions when City committed players forward — United exploited that twice. Donnarumma’s debut would be steady but under heavy testing from set pieces.
- United: Amorim’s side looked compact and dangerous on the break. United were solid defensively for long spells but struggled with fullback rotations (Dalot out). Bruno’s creativity and set piece threat was decisive — United showed resilience to claw back twice, and the late equaliser demonstrates Amorim’s team spirit.
- Game narrative: a classic end-to-end derby with big moments from both strikers and a dramatic late equaliser. Tactical discipline from both bosses but individual brilliance decided major phases.
