Manchester City vs Manchester United Tickets

The Etihad Stadium has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Man United in recent years, yet their supporters always turn up en masse when the Red Devils make the short journey across town.

Visit our Etihad Stadium seating plan to see for yourself the stands and sections of this stellar venue.

Fans of both these teams can find and buy Manchester derby tickets at the best prices at SeatPick, where every purchase comes with a minimum 100% ticket guarantee.

Manchester City vs Manchester United History

Football neighbours can often be fierce rivals, with the Manchester derby being a prime example. Two of England's most successful clubs, Manchester City and Manchester United, are regular Premier League contenders and there is a long and storied history being this crosstown rivalry.

For many years the red side of Manchester dominated this derby, and English football awhole. The Old Trafford club rose to the summit of the Football League in the 1950s under manager Matt Busby, winning three First Division titles in the years leading up to the Munich air disaster in February 1958. Eight players of the esteemed 'Busby Babes' perished in this fatal crash following victory over Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup.

Busby proceeded to rebuild a broken team and a few decades later Alex Ferguson did likewise, as both men guided the Red Devils to European glory. Ferguson asserted Manchester United as the most successful football club in England before stepping down as manager in 2013. A 20th top-flight title meant Man United had won 17 more than Man City though that disparity has been slashed significantly in the decade-plus since Ferguson retired.

While their superior rivals were capturing a third European title in May 2008, Manchester City was in the process of beginning its new era with the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group being finalised just a few months later. MCFC has since received a facelift in almost every aspect of the club. The City of Manchester Stadium became known as the Etihad Stadium, with nearby training grounds and facilities redeveloped to a world-class standard, while the club badge was also amended in 2016.

There was also a major upturn in the quality of the playing staff, with a number of high-profile individuals coming through the doors. The likes of Yaya Touré, David Silva and Sergio Agüero signed in the blue half of Manchester and all contributed significantly as the Sky Blues clinched a maiden Premier League success in 2012.

The arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2016 saw Man City go from being casual winners to serial winners. The ribbons on the Premier League trophy were sky blue five times out of six from 2018 to 2023, and the Spanish coach also delivered a highly sought-after Champions League title in 2023.

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Manchester Derby Stats & Mutual Connections

With 11 goals in the Manchester derby, no player past or present has found the net more times in this derby than Wayne Rooney did in his 25 appearances for Man United against Man City.

There are a number of individuals who have been connected to both these clubs.

• Billy Meredith is one of the best-known footballers from the early years of the Football League, and he famously played for both these Manchester rivals. The Welshman joined Man City in 1894 he went on to gain hero status in the club's short history. An alleged incident of bribery culminated in Meredith and several teammates facing bans by the Football Association. He subsequently switched to Man United in 1906 and remained there for 15 years, playing well into his 40s, and then returned to Man City before bringing his playing career to an end aged 49.

• Matt Busby is best known for his time as Man United manager, but he happened to play for Manchester City (and Liverpool) before going into coaching.

• Denis Law signed for Manchester United in 1962. The Scotland great spent 11 years as a red, scoring 237 goals in 404 appearances, and he gained much affection from the Man United faithful, earning the nickname 'King of the Stretford End', and he is one-third of the 'United Trinity' alongside Sir Bobby Charlton & George Best. Law completed a free transfer to Manchester City in 1973 before hanging up his boots the following year.

• Peter Schmeichel was an integral component in the dominant Man United side of the 1990s. The Danish goalkeeper played almost 400 times for the club and he was a senior figure in the dressing room at Old Trafford. Schmeichel ended his eight-year stay in 1999, moving to Portuguese outfit Sporting CP, but returned to the Premier League two years later with Aston Villa and then Manchester City.

• Owen Hargreaves was a Man United player for four years, though this spell was blighted by persistent knee problems and he was limited to just 39 outings in a United shirt. The 42-cap England midfielder crossed over to Man City after he was released by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011, making just a handful of appearances for the Sky Blues although Hargreaves did add another Premier League medal to his collection.

• Carlos Tevez had a two-year stint at Old Trafford, on loan from West Ham United, during which time he won the Premier League twice as well as the Champions League. Thereafter Man City acquired the services of the Argentina forward, still aged just 25 at the time. Tevez made almost 150 appearances for the Citizens and won the Premier League & FA Cup once apiece, though he endured a turbulent relationship with manager Roberto Mancini leading up to his exit to Juventus in 2013.

• Another who didn't move directly between the Manchester rivals was Jadon Sancho. The England winger developed in the Man City Academy, without appearing for the first-team, before moving abroad to Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Sancho impressed during his time in the Bundesliga, earning a mega-money move to Man United ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Manchester City vs Manchester United Head-to-Head

The clubs have met more than 190 times and there've been many rip-roaring classics between these Manchester rivals. Their first-ever meeting came back in 1891, at a time when neither of these clubs were called what they are today. Newton Heath (Man United) beat Ardwick (Man City), 5-1, in an FA Cup qualifier.

In more recent times, it has mostly been a one-sided affair when these teams have shared a pitch. 2022 was particularly brutal for the Reds, as Pep Guardiola's side won 4-1 and 6-3 in back-to-back editions of this fixture.

Other memorable moments of this fixture include the Manchester derby of April 2012, when Vincent Kompany's towering header catapulted Roberto Mancini's side towards clinching a maiden Premier League title two weeks later, in the most dramatic of circumstances.

The 190th Manchester derby saw these teams meet in the FA Cup final for the first time ever. Man City triumphed, 2-1, having taken the lead through İlkay Gündoğan just 15 seconds after kick-off.

The following year the teams reconvened at Wembley Stadium, making this the first time the same two sides contested back-to-back FA Cup finals since 1885. Manchester United ran out 2-1 winners in the 2024 FA Cup final, thanks to first-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho & Kobbie Mainoo.

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