The Smart Money in Buabook’s Man City-Man United Match Market
While neither Manchester City nor Manchester United are in any real sort of form, the consequences of defeat in Sunday’s derby could be catastrophic for their respective campaigns. Both have fallen away dramatically since the turn of the year and need to win at all costs, to not only save face with their fans, but also remain in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Here, we will give our tips for the derby in Buabook’s match market, with the potential to buy and sell shares in players for real money. The concept is straightforward. An individual’s match value will fluctuate based on live in-play statistics.
For Manchester City, in high-pressure situations where the best players distinguish themselves from the rest, you’d back Sergio Aguero as the most-likely option to breach the second best defence in England’s top-tier (30 goals conceded).
The Argentina international, who is closing in on his century of Premier League goals (94), has particularly enjoyed lining up against United since making the switch from Atletico Madrid in 2011. When it comes to goals scored against English opposition, Aguero has only been more prolific against Tottenham and Newcastle (10) than he has against United (8), with six coming in his last four matches against the Red Devils.
Aguero has scored each of his 16 goals at a quicker rate than any other player to have netted at least five times in the Premier League this season (every 106 minutes). He has so often proved City’s saviour down the years and you’d bank on him doing it this weekend just as the Sky Blues are teetering on Champions League exile next season. Pellegrini’s side could start the derby in fifth place if West Ham beat Chelsea at the weekend and they’ll certainly need to improve from their dour performance against Dynamo Kyiv in midweek to overcome United on Sunday. For that reason, I’d buy individual shares in Aguero worth anything up to 0.60 ahead of the last Manchester derby for both these managers.
If you aren’t convinced City are on the verge of putting their poor form behind them, then there is also money to be made in backing United, although given how dismal they are going forward, you aren’t left with many options to have faith your money is well placed. For Louis van Gaal, it would appear his hopes of resurrecting his Old Trafford career rests solely on the shoulders of 20-year-old Anthony Martial.
The France international comes into Sunday’s encounter with City having scored in back-to-back matches for the first time since September and playing closer to the frightening form he showed when he broke onto the scene at the start of the season. Given Martial’s share price has been dropping on Buabook over the last month, this could prove the perfect time to invest in Martial, with the potential of good returns.
With Vincent Kompany out and Nicolas Otamendi a serious doubt, it only heightens the chances of Martial exploiting City’s vulnerability at the back. It’s been the absence of Kompany throughout the campaign in particular, however, that has proven a hole too big to fill for Pellegrini and one that will give United the most glee. City have only conceded six league goals in the 12 games their captain has managed to start this season and his absence is a huge blow, not only to the outcome of this match, but also their ambitions for the rest of the season.
Given the fact Martial has scored each of United’s last two goals and he’s United’s top goalscorer in all competitions this season (7), it would seem a sensible option to invest in Martial more than any other United player. The Red Devils may have only scored one goal on their last two trips to the Etihad, but City have conceded five goals in their last three home league fixtures and kept just three clean sheets at home in the league since September. If you can pick Martial up for anything south of 0.40, it definitely is a gamble worth taking.
You can buy and sell shares in Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Manchester United live in-play on Buabook
