The biggest derby in the world? Somebody must have said it first - Mario Balotelli predicted on here that it would one day become so - and it seems to have struck a global chord.

There really is only one game in town tomorrow, and Planet Football can't get enough of the showdown that USA Today declares is "becoming the mother of all derbies". Are you watching, Milan?

John Leicester's cracking piece also runs on Sports Illustrated's site - he works for Associated Press - and cites Elvis and the moon landing in the intro, a dead giveaway that he's an REM fan.

He likes the noisy neighbours thing, quoting Mike Summerbee: "It's nice to be be called the noisy neighbours. It's nice to know that they're taking notice of us."

"It's probably the biggest derby ever," adds Buzzer, who played in a few decent ones. So that's where it came from. Should have guessed.

Leicester writes: "The combination of City's ambition and wealth and of United's commercial success and winning tradition is increasingly giving Manchester the feel of being the centre of England's football universe."

He's also buttonholed Peter Reid to back that up. "I don't see it as a fall of an empire and the rise of another one," says former City boss Reidy. "I think it's two empires, in one city."

Andrew Leci of ESPN still can't get over Roberto's reaction to Sergio Aguero's winner against Villarreal, and treats his Indonesian readers to a nice description in his Jakarta Post column.

"Mancini celebrated like a whirling dervish — punching the air, hugging anything that moved, in a genuine outpouring of passion and emotion that was as endearing as anything we’ve seen from him since he arrived on England’s shores.

"An element of relief may well have been one of the ingredients in the recipe for euphoria, but there can be little doubt that Mancini really let himself go, and ... demonstrated to supporters ... the extent to which he is committed to the success of the club.

In these cynical times, whatever your allegiances may be, it was a refreshing sight

Back to Sunday, and the manager's Press conference provides plenty of newsy material for the build-up, including this line that he's said once or twice before but, hey, what the heck.

Simon Hart on Yahoo and several others report Roberto's “United have one thing we don’t have yet. When they play badly they win the game and we are missing this.”

He adds: "Mancini pointed to United’s wins against Norwich and Chelsea when their opponents had many chances and said: 'They are strong enough that even when they don’t play very well they win the game.'"

Well, that Villarreal tie was a start, Roberto. And late goals win derbies, as we recall ...