Man Utd drumbeat booms for flagging Guardiola

London : Jose Mourinho has an opportunity to score a seismic victory over his old foe Pep Guardiola when his Manchester United side visit misfiring Manchester City on Thursday.

Guardiola oversaw a one-sided 2-1 win when he and Mourinho resumed hostilities in September and was generally felt to have made a bigger impact than the Portuguese in the season's early months.

But having been condemned to a trophy-free first campaign at City by Sunday's FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal, Guardiola will lose his hold on a top-four place if United prevail at the Etihad Stadium.

"If we finish fifth and they finish sixth and we are above them, it means nothing," Mourinho said on Wednesday.

"If they finish third and we finish fourth, they are above us, but it means a lot.

"This is not about Pep, this is not about City; it is about fighting for objectives. We want to play Champions League football and we still have two doors open."

Mourinho was alluding to the fact United can also qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League, ahead of their two-legged semi-final against Celta Vigo next month.

But victory on Thursday would help to shut off City's only path to Europe's top club competition.

It would also raise the prospect of United finishing above City for the first time since 2013 and provide proof that Mourinho has made a quicker start to life in Manchester than Guardiola.

United have struggled for fluency this season, drawing no fewer than 12 games, and spent four months grimly locked in sixth place in the table.

As the days grow longer, however, the prospects of a successful end to the season appear to be getting brighter.

Their stunning 2-0 ambush of league leaders Chelsea showed they are a match for anyone and they are seeking to equal a club record by going 24 top-flight games unbeaten.

Fatigue aside, the only dark cloud on United's horizon is injuries.