Manchester City vs Manchester United – FA Cup final preview | OneFootball

Manchester City and Manchester United meet in the FA Cup final this weekend, as the Mancunian rivalries compete for silverware at Wembley.

The FA Cup had never staged a Manchester Derby in decider before last season, but the teams will do battle for the trophy for the second straight season under the famous arch.

Here is all you need to know about Saturday’s final.

Form

Manchester City: WWWWW

Manchester City’s flawless end to the season saw Pep Guardiola’s side wrap up the Premier League title last weekend. A record-breaking fourth top-flight title in a row has cemented the Citizens in the history books and the Premier League champions will look to complete a domestic double at Wembley.

City have not lost in normal time since December 6, while their last loss in the FA Cup came in April 2022, after winning the competition last season.

Erling Haaland has scored five goals in this season’s FA Cup, just one behind leading scorers Ellis Simms and Sammie Szmodics. Incredibly, all five of Haaland’s goals came in the fifth-round win at Luton.

City have faced Premier League opposition in four of their five FA Cup games this season, beating Huddersfield, Tottenham, Luton, Newcastle and Chelsea to reach the final.

Manchester United: DLLWW

Back-to-back wins have increased confidence at Manchester United heading into the final, even if successes against Newcastle and Brighton were not enough to secure European qualification in the Premier League.

An eighth-placed finish is the club’s lowest since 1989-90, while their 13 league defeats is a club record in the Premier League era.

Bruno Fernandes has been a bright light in an otherwise disappointing end-of-season slump, scoring six times and providing two assists in his last seven Premier League appearances.

Ten Hag will hope his team can be more solid than they’ve shown during an entertaining if unconvincing run in the FA Cup this season. Manchester United have conceded 2+ goals in three of their five FA Cup ties this season, including six goals across wins against Liverpool and Coventry.

Last Meeting

Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United, Premier League, 03/03/2024

Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City came from behind to win the derby at the Etihad. Marcus Rashford had hammered Manchester United ahead in the clash with a thunderbolt in the first half, but Foden’s stunning strike levelled for City after the break.

Foden’s second saw him drill a low finish past Andre Onana before Erling Haaland added his name to the scoresheet – after an astonishing earlier miss – to continue his fine record in this fixture.

City have won six of the last seven meetings between the teams.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland.

Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Amrabat; Diallo, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.

Who is the referee?

Andrew Madley.

What channel is the FA Cup final on?

In the UK, the final will be shown on BBC One from 1:50pm and on ITV1 from 1:45pm.

What time is kick off?

15:00 BST, Saturday 25th May, 2024.

Odds

Manchester City – 1/3

Draw – 9/2

Manchester United – 7/1

Read – Five of the best ever Manchester Derby goals

See more – 10 defining moments in the Manchester Derby rivalry

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