The curious reason why Man Utd will cheer for Man City in the Champions League

Manchester United have had a disappointing performance this season. They were aiming to improve what they did last year, when they were Carabao Cup champions, FA Cup finalists and third in the Premier League, but that will no longer be possible. In the first of those competitions they were eliminated early by Newcastle, while in the English league they are far from the top of the standings. In addition, they had a terrible performance in the Champions League and did not advance from the group stage.

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Now they have only one chance left to win a title this year: the FA Cup. But that goal is not enough for them and that is why they will also try to get as high as possible in the Premier League to secure their place in international tournaments next season.

The Champions League is the dream of The Red Devils, but right now they are far away from there. With 44 points, they are 5 points behind Aston Villa, who for now are the last ones that are getting a place in the most important club tournament in Europe. While it is true that there are still many games left in the league and they could catch them, the Villans' good performances make it hard to imagine.

But there is another alternative. The next Champions League will have a new format that will eliminate the group stage that was usually played at the beginning of the tournament and that will allow the participation of more clubs. Therefore, the two countries whose teams have the best performance in this season's competitions will receive an extra place for the next edition.

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The last hope

In order to get that extra place and for there to be five English teams in the next Champions League, Arsenal and Manchester City must have a great performance in the knock-out stages. They are the only two Premier League clubs still in the European competition, as both Manchester United and Newcastle failed in the group stage. Therefore, the Red Devils will need (and will celebrate) the success of two of their biggest rivals.