On Sunday, Man City and Man United will lock horns in a Manchester Derby that has grown in popularity since the Citizens rise to the top of English football. However, several eyes will not be on the players on the pitch, but rather the two men in the dugout: Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
The Spanish and Portuguese managers have a long rivalry, one that reached peak animosity during there time at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. While things have calmed down between the two in the Premier League, their quest to be the best has not ceased.
Many hail Pep as the superior tactician, a mastermind that is one of the -- if not the -- best of his generation, but is he a better boss than the Special One? We analyze the numbers of the two gaffers at the center of the Manchester Derby.
Head-to-head record: how have they fared against each other?
Those who profess Guardiola's superiority point to his record against Mourinho, and rightly so. The two have crossed paths 21 times, 11 of which came in El Clasico. While Jose has enjoyed his fair share of memorable wins, including Inter Milan's Champions League semi-final triumph over Barcelona and Man United's 3-2 comeback victory at the Etihad last season, Pep reigns supreme.
The Spaniard has beaten his rival twice as many times than he lost. His 10 victories over Mourinho shows his dominance in their previous encounters, but it doesn't end there.
Mourinho's record vs Pep
Guardiola's teams have outscored the Portuguese tactician's teams 34 to 24 in their previous run-ins. However, in England, things are split evenly. The Manchester gaffers have crossed paths four times in the Premier League and once in the League, with each mean winning twice (D1).
Who has more titles?
Although Guardiola is synonymous with Barcelona's sextuple and winning left, right, and center; Mourinho holds the advantage in trophy count. It is a slight lead, but a lead nonetheless, having won 25 trophies to the Spaniard's 24.
Jose is a serial winner, and that's one thing even his critics can't deny. He is currently in his third season at Old Trafford and things aren't going well at the Theatre of Dreams, but even at the Red Devils, Mourinho has won silverware three times.
He has two Champions League crowns under his belt to complement the number of domestic league titles he has won. Additionally, he has enjoyed success in several countries, winning in his home country, followed by England, Italy, Spain, and then England again.
However, it should be noted that while Jose's first senior job came in 2002 at Porto, Guardiola's did not come until 2008 with the Barcelona first-team. Since then, the Portuguese boss has won only 13 trophies.
So who's the better manager?
Both men have their merits and shortcomings. While Guardiola is outshining his counterpart at the moment, the challenge that faced the Special One when he took up the Old Trafford job was far heftier. The ball might be in Pep's court at the moment, but the former Chelsea boss can flip things in his favor at any moment, starting on Sunday's visit to the Etihad Stadium.
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