Louis van Gaal believes Manchester City are favourites for Sunday’s derby due to their two-point lead in the Premier League.

United enter the weekend in third place on 19 points so know victory over City in the 170th edition of the fixture would allow them to leapfrog Manuel Pellegrini’s team.

Asked who were the favourites for the match, Van Gaal said: “You have to ask the fans. That is not so important who is the favourite. When you look at the facts, they are first and we are second or third. There is a goals difference, a points difference, so they are the favourites I think.”

While City’s goal difference is superior by nine, Van Gaal is impressed by City’s ability to score late goals. Kevin De Bruyne snatched a late winner in Wednesday evening’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Sevilla, though the manager also felt his side could do the same at Old Trafford.

“I think that that it is a good signal for a team,” he said. “I would be pleased also, of course, when we are doing that and we are doing that also. We were also behind against Wolfsburg and we beat them. That is a very strong team.

“Now we were behind against CSKA Moscow and they were very good organised defensively and we come back and could have won also. So you need always a little bit of luck also and you can force the luck and, of course, Manchester City force the luck and we do that also.”