What to expect from Mark Clattenburg in Man United v Man City
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In the past six months, Mark Clattenburg has refereed the finals of the Champions League and European Championship, but he’s set for an even higher intensity in the crowd as he referees the 172nd Manchester Derby. So, what are we set to see from the man with the whistle?
The Durham-born referee is certainly not shy about flashing his cards, having booked 52 players over the course of his last ten games. But perhaps the more interesting stats lie in the man in black’s red card record.
He handed out seven reds in English football last season and tends to be less cautious in handing out the ultimate punishment than he is in European competition.
Interestingly, the official handed a red to Manchester United’s Chris Smalling on the last occasion he reffed a Red Devils game, and has dismissed three United players during the last two seasons – the most of any Premier League club.
That means the odds of 6/1 for Clattenburg to send off any of Jose Mourinho’s men could prove fantastic value.
Meanwhile, the 6s for a Citizens star to be directed for an early bath looks less likely, with Pep Guardiola’s men having not suffered a red card since February 2015 against Barcelona.
For those who think the strict ref could be in charge of a feisty fixture, the 16/1 for him to send off two or more players is excellently priced, while it’s 33s for multiple men from a single club to suffer a dismissal.
One thing you can always expect with Clattenburg is a bit of extra entertainment. From his tongue wiggling at Pepe’s embarrassing Champions League final dive, to his exceptional pace, you can guarantee he’ll liven things up a bit if this one looks like being a bore draw.
.@CelebrityRefs Mark Clattenburg with a great run on the overlap in #SUI vs #POL #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/jZtsWqAx9B
— Will Mitchell (@WillMitchell_71) June 25, 2016
And he certainly loves the job. So much so that the 41-year-old got tattoos of the 2016 Champions League and European Championship finals. That means the 25/1 for Clattenburg to commemorate this clash with another piece of body art could draw in a few cheeky bets.
But the serious business as always is on the pitch, where it’s 13/10 for United to win, 11/5 for City and 9/4 for the draw.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
