Manchester City vs Sheffield United betting tips: FA Cup semi-final preview, predictions, team news and odds
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Manchester City vs Sheffield United odds and betting statistics
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Manchester City vs Sheffield United recommended bets
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Manchester City vs Sheffield United match preview
Will Manchester City move one step closer to the treble, or can Sheffield United cause an FA Cup upset for the ages?
This is the fifth consecutive season in which Man City have featured in the semi-finals, a feat only previously achieved by Arsenal (2001-05), Manchester United (1962-66) and Oxford University (1873-77).
However, since capturing the cup in 2019, Pep Guardiola’s team have fallen at this stage each time, beaten by Arsenal, Chelsea and, 12 months ago, eventual winners Liverpool.
Right now though, the Sky Blues are chasing a treble, and you’d get very short odds on them to achieve it.
Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw in Munich saw off Bayern in the Champions League, with the Citizens preparing to take on holders Real Madrid in the semis next month.
Meantime, in the Premier League, they host league-leaders Arsenal this forthcoming Wednesday, knowing victory would be a giant step towards a third title in a row.
Sheffield United meantime haven’t won this competition since 1925, with their most-recent final appearance coming in 1936.
Slightly more recently, the Blades featured in the last four in 2014, doing so as a third-tier club, and were ousted in a truly chaotic game by Hull City, downed 5-3.
So far this season, Paul Heckingbottom’s team have overcome Millwall, Wrexham in a replay, Tottenham and Blackburn to set up this return to Wembley.
Meantime, Sheffield United are on the cusp of a Premier League return, currently second in the Championship, seven points clear of Luton, with just four games remaining.
In short, the underdogs should be no push-overs, but anything other than a resounding Manchester City win would be a major surprise.
Manchester City team news
With that huge game against Arsenal in mind, Pep Guardiola is likely to rotate heavily here.
Nevertheless, there’s hardly a dearth of quality in this squad, with Stefan Ortega starting in goal, while Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker will come into defence.
At the other end of the pitch, Riyāḍ Maḥrez and Julián Álvarez could return to the attack, while Phil Foden is available again after having his appendix removed last month.
Kalvin Phillips has only racked up 391 minutes since joining from Leeds last summer, but could start for only the third time here.
Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Gómez; Phillips, Gündoğan, Maḥrez, Silva, Palmer; Álvarez.
Sheffield United team news
A huge blow coming into this game is that James McAtee and Tommy Doyle, who are on loan from Manchester City, are ineligible.
The absence of both will see Oliver Norwood come into midfield, alongside John Fleck and Sander Berge, all of whom were at the club when they were relegated two seasons ago.
Number one goalkeeper Wes Foderingham was sent off at Turf Moor recently, but has now served his two-game ban, so will start.
Defenders Jack O’Connell, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Enda Stevnes are all long-term absentees.
Iliman Ndiaye, who scored the winner against Tottenham in round five, will lead the line, chosen over Billy Sharp, who will be hoping to make his 373rd appearance for the club, 18 years on from his debut.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Foderingham; Egan, Ahmedhodžić, Robinson; Baldock, Norwood, Berge, Fleck, Lowe; Ndiaye, McBurnie.
