The Sports Bookie Blog

Sunday Grand Slam Part One – Manchester Derby

February 7th, 2008

It has been a busy week on the international scene with a full midweek schedule of friendly fixtures, while the African Cup of Nations is reaching a climax with the final on Sunday. Premiership bettors should check to see whether players return safely from national duty, then got to PinnacleSports.com for up to 60% better Premiership betting odds.
Sunday Grand Slam Part One – Manchester Derby

Manchester United were this week fined £25,000 by the Football Association after picking up seven bookings in their 1-1 draw with Spurs last Saturday at White Hart Lane. They got out of jail in the 90th minute of a bad tempered game, and there could be plenty more cautions at Old Trafford this Sunday as they face their City rivals, in the first part of a Premiership Grand Slam. The Laser Blues shocked the Red Devils with a 1-0 win at Eastlands earlier in the season, so victory at the Theatre of Dreams would give Sven Goran Eriksson an unlikely double, in his first season in charge.

The odds are stacked against that as United are in much the better form, having won twelve successive Premiership home games, conceding just three times. City have settled into a familiar pattern of struggling on the road, winning just two away games so far this term. Key playmaker Elano – the one individual who could hurt United – has gone off the boil, Of course this isn’t just any game, and both sides will raise their performance levels, but United are at virtually full strength, and last at home in Manchester Derby back in 1974. There is the added intensity of Wednesday’s 50th anniversary of the Munich Air crash which killed eight Man Utd players, which will fire up the home crowd. On the last two meetings Alex Ferguson’s side have run out 3-1 winners, and PinnacleSports.com make them favourites 1.826 (-1.5)* with Man City 2.110 (+1.5)*.

* Odds subject to change – so check out the latest prices on site at PinnacleSports.com or compare best odds live across the top online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com.