Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Fourth Round - Manchester United v Newcastle United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 1, 2023 The United Trinity statue outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington/ File Photo
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - A record 45,185 tickets have been snapped up for Sunday's Women's Super League derby between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, setting up a potential attendance record.
Depending on how many fans come through the turnstiles, the attendance could top the record of 44,259 set at the Etihad last season.
The derby marks the fifth WSL game played by United's women at Old Trafford and is on pace to crush the team's previous attendance record of 30,196 for Aston Villa's visit to Old Trafford in 2022.
"Our players are used to big occasions, and they thrive in those environments. The bigger we make these moments, the more the players grow," United manager Marc Skinner said. "The women's game has continued to develop, and fans are attending games to witness competitive performances from their favourite players."
United, who beat City 2-1 last season at Leigh Sports Village, began the weekend third in the WSL standings while City are sixth.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
