Manchester City vs Manchester United Preview

Manchester City and Manchester United will renew their rivalry this Saturday when both sides meet in the 2024/25 Community Shield.

The game heralds the beginning of the new season with this fixture being the last game of last season’s domestic campaign where Man United had the upper hand courtesy of a 2-1 win in the FA Cup final.

Therefore, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will be out for revenge as they take on their fierce rivals under the famous Wembley arch. However, City have struggled in the Community Shield in recent times.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won just six of their 15 Community Shield appearances, losing their last three – no side has lost four in a row since Manchester United between 1998 and 2001.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will be looking to make it back-to-back wins over their fierce rivals for the first time since 2020 when they won two in a row. The Red Devils are playing in this competition for the first time since their first competitive match under José Mourinho back in 2016.

They have a stellar Community Shield record (W21, L9) and have won each of their last four appearances at the tournament – a sequence that includes a 3-2 victory over City back in 2011 in what was just the second H2H in this competition (L1).

So, having beaten their city rivals to the FA Cup title to win Erik ten Hag’s second trophy in two seasons, Man United will be desperate to begin the new season on a winning note and banish the pains of last season when they finished eighth in the Premier League table.

However, a rocky pre-season (W2, L3) that saw new signing Leny Yoro and striker Rasmus Højlund sidelined for the start of the campaign suggests the Red Devils have plenty more work to do to restore optimism of the Old Trafford fans.