The 2023/24 Continental Cup group stage draws to a close with the standout fixture arriving in Manchester as City and United do battle in Group B.

Both teams are primed to progress into the quarter-finals, but only one can qualify automatically. Man Utd currently top the group having won all three of their games so far, but a City victory on Wednesday will see them progress as Group B victors. The competition then has two places in the knockouts rounds to offer to the best group runners-up – decided by points per game.

The Cityzens have been in excellent domestic form and are hunting down Chelsea at the top of the WSL. They head into Wednesday’s game having thrashed Liverpool 5-1 at the weekend. United, on the contrary, have slipped down to fourth in the table after losing to the league leaders on Sunday.

Here’s 90min’s preview of Wednesday’s Conti Cup group stage fixture between the Mancunian rivals.

Man City predicted lineup vs Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Keating; Morgan, Aleixandri, Greenwood, Ouahabi; Roord, Hasegawa; Kelly, Fowler, Hemp; Shaw.

Man Utd predicted lineup vs Man City (4-2-3-1): Earps; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell; Ladd, Zelem; Garcia, Toone, Galton; Geyse.

The pressure is starting to ramp up on Marc Skinner following back-to-back WSL defeats and his United side will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat in midweek.

While United have so far enjoyed a perfect Conti Cup campaign, they risk missing out on automatic qualification for the knockouts.

City have been in irresistible form, with their potency in the final third allowing them to blow past their opponents. While some sort of resistance from the visitors should be expected, it’s hard to envisage them prevailing over their superior crosstown rivals.