Kick-off: 1500, 03/06/2023
Stadium: Wembley
TV: BBC One/ITV
Manchester City can take one more step towards a famous treble if they can win the 2023 FA Cup final at the expense of the only previous team to have completed the incredible feat.
Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999 and will be desperate to stop their neighbours doing the same, with only Inter Milan standing in their way if the champions triumph at Wembley.
There looks no stopping Pep Guardiola’s men, though. and a City win plus over 2.5 goals at evens is our opening Man City vs Man Utd prediction.
City can clean up
Guardiola put out a weakened team on the final day of the Premier League season so his star men have had plenty of time to prepare for their Wembley outing.
Kevin De Bruyne missed the 1-0 defeat at Brentford while the likes of Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones were unused substitutes.
Winning the Champions League is the ultimate prize for City but given they will have a full week to recover from the FA Cup final, Guardiola is expected to put out his strongest line-up.
It is a team which ended the season in superb form, with a 4-1 victory over runners-up Arsenal going a long way to securing the Premier League title while a 4-0 win at home to Real Madrid booked their place in the Champions League final.
City will look to make a fast start as they have so often recently. In the Premier League they had by far the best first-half record, scoring 47 goals and conceding just 13 compared with United’s 26-18 record.
City have been ahead at the break in 10 of their last 11 wins in all competitions and are particularly strong just before half-time, scoring 21 goals between 30 minutes and the break in the league this season.
Looking at the 9/5 for City to score at least one goal in this period.
One other bet which catches the eye in the 27/10 for City to have no yellow cards.
While the local rivalry would suggest a bad-tempered affair, that has not been the case in recent meetings and City have avoided a booking in four of the last five matches against United including the last three.
Incredibly City have also had just one yellow card in their last six Premier League games too so backing them to keep their discipline looks a value selection.
United can trouble City defence
It has been an impressive first season in charge for United manager Erik ten Hag, with the Carabao Cup already in the trophy cabinet and a return to the Champions League secured.
Winning the FA Cup – especially at City’s expense – would further boost his popularity rating and United head to Wembley in fine form after four straight wins, although 10th-placed Fulham were their toughest opponents during that run.
There was even talk of a title challenge at one stage of the season but there is still a sense that United are not in City’s class, having finished 14 points behind their neighbours.
They were fortunate to get through in the semi-finals, eventually winning on penalties with Brighton having been the better team, while a 3-0 defeat at Sevilla in the Europa League in April again highlighted a lack of consistency.
City beat United 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium in October but United gained revenge in January as they came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to two late goals.
The Red Devils have scored six goals in the last three Manchester derbies so an entertaining game seems likely.
A City win and both teams to score is added to our Man City vs Man Utd betting tips at 10/1 for correct-score punters.
Additional stats
Last result:
Brentford 1-0 MAN CITY
MAN UTD 2-1 Fulham – Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes
Head-to-head: Man Utd 2-1 Man City, Man City 6-3 Man Utd, Man City 4-1 Man Utd, Man Utd 0-2 Man City, Man City 0-2 Man Utd, Man Utd 0-2 Man City, Man Utd 0-0 Man City
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