Casparij: The Manchester derby keeps getting bigger | OneFootball

Kerstin Casparij says the intensity of the Manchester derby continues to grow season-by-season as the rivalry between City and United intensifies.

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The next meeting between Andrée Jeglertz’s side and Marc Skinner’s is scheduled for Saturday 28 March at Old Trafford, with kick-off set for 13:30 (UK).

It’s the Blues’ second clash with our cross-city neighbours following our strong 3-0 success in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium in November.

Casparij played the full 90 minutes of that standout success and registered two assists in what was her eighth derby outing since signing for the Club in 2022.

And the Netherlands international is relishing the latest heavyweight bout between the sides, which pits the WSL’s top two against each other.

“[Derbies are] great, I’ve grown to get more passionate in each derby I play,” she declared.

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“When I joined, it’s not a known thing or something I experienced when I was younger but I learned, coming here and loving Manchester City.

“That is such a thing that lives within this group. There’s an extra layer of competition there – obviously it was an important win [against them] earlier this season.

“To win in the next derby could be massive, especially again looking at the table, we call it a ‘six point game’. They’re ‘must wins’ for them and us.

“It’s going to be a big game, so I’m looking forward to it.”

City are unbeaten when playing at Old Trafford having recorded a memorable 3-1 success there in 2023/24 and then a 2-2 draw last term.

Strikes from Jill Roord, Lauren Hemp and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw in November 2023 saw us come from a goal down to become the first team to beat Manchester United at the stadium.

Then, first-half goals from Laia Aleixandri and Rebecca Knaak earned an injury-hit Blues a point in 2024/25.

And Casparij is relishing the fiery atmosphere of another derby in front of thousands of spectators this weekend.

She added: “It’s always really nice to have the derbies at the big stadiums. We obviously love playing at the Etihad.

“There’s also something fun about Old Trafford, I remember the first time I came out for the warm-up and we were getting booed. I love that kind of stuff, so it really feels like a derby and a lot of people really care.

“It’s also extra special to play in front of a lot of people in the big stadiums. Last year the result there wasn’t unreal, but the year before we did really great.

“With the league is now and the table is now, we’re looking to get a good result because we know how important that is going towards the end of the season.

“I’m very excited.”