One of the most intense rivalries in all of sports will renew itself on Sunday when Manchester United faces Manchester City.
Both teams enter the match with seven points through four games. In the last two seasons, both sides have been the top finishers in the Premier League; City won the Championship in 2011-12, while United took the crown last season.
The two sides have spent some time trading blows to build up the anticipation.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini recently stated that his team had the stronger "mentality" heading into the match.
I know that our mentality at the moment is very strong," he said, according to ESPN. "More strong than Manchester United."
However, he did play down the significance of the game, stating that this was not the most important match of the season.
"We have 38 games to play and two of them are [against] Manchester United," he said. "For me, it is very important to win against Manchester United but the most important thing is to win the title. It is not the last match of the season."
United's Wayne Rooney also played down the importance of the rivalry and stated that Liverpool was a more serious rival for his team.
"City have had their success recently, but I would probably say that United and Liverpool is still the biggest game," Rooney said, according to ESPN. "They're all big games, but obviously United and Liverpool has been a massive game over the years. I'd say it's still the biggest game."
Prediction: City will be home for this one and should have the edge; 3-2 City.
Start time: 11 a.m. EST
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