Lionel Messi can have more impact on Man City vs Manchester United than Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi can have more impact than Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't with the Manchester United squad that met up on Saturday night ahead of facing Manchester City in the derby, but the Blues won't be too concerned about whether he turns up at the Etihad or not.

Instead, Guardiola will be looking to which of his players can be matchwinners for City, and the key to that might be Ronaldo's world-class rival Lionel Messi.

Jack Grealish said he and Phil Foden looked at Messi's video before combining for their quality goal at Peterborough this week, to which Guardiola said they should continue basing their game on the Argentine. Maybe the pair can carry on that momentum into the derby and ensure Messi has more of an impact on the game than Ronaldo does.

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Calling Pep's bluff

Guardiola was in mischievous form in his pre-match press conference where he declared he would 'sign now' if it meant losing the derby and winning the Premier League. Then he told United that City will be 'defending deep' and playing on the counter to combat the visitors' pace. Was this a subtle attempt at mind games, or a genuine fear of United's attacking threats?

There's a reason that Guardiola rarely discloses tactics before a game, so don't take his comments this week on face value. Expect him to line City up to win the game, keep up the title push, and inflict another blow on United.

Home record needs improving

To achieve that victory, Guardiola will need to do something he's only managed once - beat United at home. In five home meetings, Guardiola has only masterminded one win in 2018, with United winning the last three visits. In fact, only three of the last 17 derbies have