Maicon has declared that he is excited to match the atmosphere of a Manchester derby against others he has sampled in a varied career.

The Brazilian international has fond memories of playing for Inter Milan against AC Milan, scoring on two occasions in the San Siro showpiece.

Now with Manchester City, Maicon believes that a victory over bitter rivals Manchester United can help give their season a huge boost.

He said: "My strongest memory of the Milan derbies was the day Inter won 4-0 in the season we won the Champions League. I scored and it was a day that is difficult to forget.

"I also remember playing for Cruzeiro against Atletico Mineiro when Mineiro were the better team. We won and it changed our whole season."

City can draw level with United at the top of the table with victory at the Etihad on Sunday.