Despite all the hype, however, the match will do well to live up to some of the Manchester derby tussles down the years. Here are five of the most memorable:
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Three deaths have been reported and there are fears of more fatalities.
The victory saw the unfashionable Madrid club tighten their grip on the coveted fourth spot in the table by moving on to 58 points after 36 games, three points clear of nearest challengers Sevilla, who lost to Leganes on Friday.
Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, the ED has begun a trail of "cash" which is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Real Madrid can bury Atletico's hopes of winning La Liga with a third straight victory against their city neighbours on Sunday that would leave the capital's second club trailing by six points.
We bring you a collection of some of the best photographs taken in the week gone by.
Barca overcome solid Bilbao challenge to scrape through 1-0.
Here's why Rajeev Srinivasan believes there will be nothing particularly positive about the prime minister's US visit.
The astronomical fee paid for Ben Stokes at the IPL auction is a confirmation of his status as the modern game's finest all-rounder.
Mahendra Raj is a towering figure of 20th century Indian architecture.
The Budget will obviously be crucial. But US President Donald Trump may have even more of an influence than Finance Minister Arun Jaitley when it comes to sentiment, argues Devangshu Datta.
Rahul Dravid says he has never judged players on the price they commanded at IPL auctions, as it is not always a true reflection of their abilities and skill sets.
The markets are in meltdown. Time then to turn to the Master Investor for advice and guidance. Yefei Lu explains how Warren Buffet's investment strategy includes everything from how to look at risk versus reward to how to think about portfolio concentration.
How did the Kwid become an Indian success story?
Liverpool failed to muster a single shot on target in a Champions League game for the first time since a 1-0 defeat to Benfica in February 2006.
There was a discussion on trade matters, market access, regulatory issues and barriers. Both leaders underlined the importance of free and fair trade
Paraguay drew 1-1 with Uruguay at the Copa America to go top of Group B, one point ahead of Argentina before the tournament favourites take on eliminated Jamaica later on Saturday.
Indian Acres' Rafael Nadal beat UAE Royals' Roger Federer to win the last set 6-5 through a shoot-out to help the Indian team win the Delhi leg of the Indian Premier Tennis League in New Delhi on Saturday.
Rediff.com lists those sportsmen who have been accused of 'sleeping with the enemy'
If you can name it, someone collects it. Here's a gallery of collectors and their (unusual) obsessions.
'Obama's visit to Hiroshima must generate a fresh debate in the international community about how to reduce the salience of nuclear weapons in international politics and how to disarm the world from these monstrous weapons forever,' says Sanjeev Shrivastav..
Images from Day 6 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros in Paris on Friday.
White House said Trump strongly believed that protecting environment and 'promoting our economy are not mutually exclusive goals'.
Presenting a list of the most trending jobs in the start-up world.
Chelsea moved within touching distance of a first Premier League title in five years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United while Lionel Messi reached a landmark with his 400th career goal for La Liga leaders Barcelona.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'The year in pictures' treks across the globe, looking back on the moments that shaped 2016. From the United States presidential race, to demonetisation in India to the refugee crisis, the news has kept pouring in. Here are our top 50 moments from the world.
'China was the elephant in the Oval Office and Trump would have sensed that Modi's foreign policy architecture has become disoriented sans the US' pivot to Asia,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Images from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Rajiv Satyal is a standup comedian. He resides at the intersection of Indian comedy and Seinfeld quotes. So you can imagine what a Seinfeld show in India affected him!
Rediff.com takes a look at drones as they engage in activities you'd never thought you'd see.
A summary of Thursday night's UEFA Champions League matches.
A superb 83rd minute free-kick from captain Neymar gave Brazil a winning start under new coach Dunga as they beat Colombia 1-0 in a fiercely contested friendly on Friday.
As Leicester City celebrates its Premier League triumph, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com salutes the man behind it.
From a shy bride to a passionate campaigner, the story of Diana, 'the People's Princess', was more often than not told through photographs.
World No 1 Serena Williams kept her Wimbledon title defence on track on Sunday, downing Germany's Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 with a crushing display of power and booming serves.
Renault says that one of the reasons why its sales look muted when compared to its peers is its limited reach.
Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings are most awaited.
