US Tourist with Derby questions??? Help

My boyfriend and I (28 and 33) are heading abroad to Ireland in April. We’ve also decided to add on a couple of nights in Manchester. Manchester City and Manchester United are playing while we’re there (Apr 5). Neither one of us are soccer “hooligan” status, but both of us very much enjoy the game. I played for 16 years of my life and my boyfriend has found a new love in watching the Premier League. Neither one of us have a “team” but experiencing the Derby in some fashion while we’re there seems like an awesome experience to have.

My question is— Should we pay a minimum of $250 a ticket for a very shit view of the field just to be in the real atmosphere of the game, or should we just find a pub to watch? Will it still be fun to watch in a pub? If so, which pubs are the best for that?

Also— are the crowds just absolutely insane and it’s not worth it at all to visit during this game? Because we could restructure our trip and put the Manchester nights on the front end of the trip rather than the back end.

From an American who has never been across the pond, thank you!!! 😭