IT’S CRUNCH time in Manchester tonight – and that’s putting it mildly.

Derbies between United and City are always captivating, but this one is truly high stakes.

With victory, City, who have the advantage of playing at home and knowing they won 6-1 at Old Trafford earlier this season, will regain the leadership.

With the points then level, they would further boost a goal difference currently six better than United’s, who not so long ago held an apparently seemingly unassailable eight-point lead.

All that with just two more games to go, for City at Newcastle and at home to QPR, for United, at home to Swansea and away to Sunderland.

It’s a mouth-watering prospect, terrific for neutrals as well as the supporters of both sides, and Sky must be rubbing their hands at the way things have turned out!

Both bosses have been playing mind games during the build-up, with Roberto Mancini insisting the title is United’s and hailing the inner strength and team spirit of the Old Trafford side.

For his part, Sir Alex Ferguson noted the ‘noisy neighbours’ aren’t abut to go away.

Fergie, of course, has seen it all before, and while it seems the boot is on the other foot in terms of leads being chipped away, I believe United will prevail and land another Premier League crown.

That would be fitting for a superb manager who has never been afraid of bringing through young players and has built not just one, but a series of fantastic teams.

IT’S not the way it was scripted, but the Champions League final will be still be an intriguing affair.

With Spanish interest now centred on the Europa League after defeats for big guns Barcelona and Real Madrid, our hopes rest with Chelsea.

After pulling off a superb and against-the-odds success against Barca, they now face another daunting task on Saturday, May 19.

Not only do they have to tame Bayern Munich without their talismanic skipper John Terry, who will be suspended after his rash challenge on Alexis Sanchez.

But they most do it at the impressive home of the German giants, the Allianz Arena.

It might seem a little unfair that one of the finalists has home advantage.

But this kind of match takes some arranging – or un-arranging if the venue was to be altered at this late stage, so it’s just something Robert Di Matteo and his men will have to put up with.

While I don’t blame UEFA for the situation with the venue, it is a shame they won’t reconsider the bans for the six players, neatly three from each side, who have picked up three yellow cards over the course of the entire tournament.

I was reading that Branislav Ivanovic’s trio of cautions came in more than 15 hours of football, hardly a heinous record for a fairly rugged defender.

What a shame they will miss such a huge game.

Looking further ahead, it will be fascinating to see whether the damage done to Spanish confidence will have any effect on their bid to retain the European title in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

And what about the managers?

Di Matteo, having shown his tactical nous in getting the better of Barca over 180 minutes of football, is putting forward quite a case for being put in charge on a permanent basis.

But with Pep Guardiola on the lookout for pastures new after pulling the plug on an astonishing four-year, 13-trophy stint at the Nou Camp helm, could Stamford Bridge be his next stop-off?

It’s going to be a very interesting few months in West London.

EYEBROWS have been raised at suggestions Neil Warnock is poised to take El-Hadji Diouf to Leeds.

Yes, the same player the former Town boss called a "sewer rat", claiming he verbally abused QPR player Jamie Mackie as he lay on the pitch with a broken leg during his side’s FA Cup clash with Blackburn.

Neil has his fall-outs with various people – quite a few of them – but in most cases, he’s not the type to bear a grudge.

And if he thinks Diouf can do a job for him at Elland Road, and is available within budget, he won’t hesitate to bring him in.

The Senegal star (pictured tracking Scott Arfield during a Town v Blackburn friendly) does bring a bit of baggage.

But he’s the type Neil specialises in getting the best out of (look at his handling of Darren Bullock at Town and Joey Barton at QPR).

Leeds haven’t made the play-offs this time, but I fully expect a full-blooded push for promotion next season.