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This Saturday's FA Cup semi-final brings an intriguing matchup at Wembley, where Coventry City faces Manchester United. This game highlights the enduring charm of the FA Cup.
Coventry has carved a notable path to the semi-finals with commanding wins over Oxford United (6-2), Sheffield Wednesday (4-1), Maidstone United (5-0), and an impressive victory over Premier League team Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-2).
Manchester United's route to this stage has also been challenging. They secured victories against Wigan Athletic (2-0), Newport County (4-2), Nottingham Forest (1-0), and managed a nail-biting win against Liverpool (4-3). These games demonstrated the team's tenacity but also revealed some weaknesses that Coventry might leverage.
In their past 17 encounters, Coventry City has secured 2 victories, there has been 1 draw, and Manchester United has triumphed 14 times. The goal differential stands at 35-14 in favor of Manchester United.
The matches involving both teams have seen a higher number of goals recently. A bet on over 3.5 goals might be worth considering.
The betting tip is...
Over 3.5 goals to be scored
64 %
36 %
Coventry City, ranked eighth in the EFL Championship with 63 points, has shown consistent performance throughout the season, albeit with some missed chances along the way.
Recently, Coventry's performance has dipped as they approach this match with two wins and three losses in their last five games. Despite facing challenging opponents recently, their last match was particularly tough, ending in a disappointing 3-0 loss to relegation-threatened Birmingham Cityβpossibly their worst result of the season.
Before this defeat, Coventry suffered a 2-1 loss to Southampton. However, they had a noteworthy 2-1 victory over Leeds United before that, with goals from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.
This win was preceded by a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Cardiff City and a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town, which featured another standout performance by Ellis Simms who scored twice, alongside Wright.
Coventry City is in good shape regarding injuries, with only Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Jamie Allen unavailable for selection.
Predicted Lineup: Brad Collins; Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Jake Bidwell; Josh Eccles, Ben Sheaf; Milan van Ewijk, Kasey Palmer, Haji Wright; Ellis Simms.
Manchester United's recent form has been less than stellar, with the team managing only one win in their last five matches and going winless in the last four. Their most recent game ended in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, with Bruno Fernandes scoring both goals for United in a performance that left much to be desired.
This draw came on the heels of another 2-2 tie with Liverpool, where Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo's goals were just enough to prevent a Liverpool victory in a tumultuous match. This followed an even more tumultuous encounter, a 4-3 loss to Chelsea, where United gave up a late leadβCole Palmer's late double turned a 3-2 advantage into a loss at the last moment.Β
Before this string of draws and losses, United secured a 1-1 draw at Brentford and achieved a 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, a match marked by intense and chaotic gameplay.
Manchester United is facing significant injury challenges. Those unavailable due to injuries include Lisandro MartΓnez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay, Jonny Evans, Anthony Martial, and Victor Lindelof.
Predicted Lineup: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Kambwala, Maguire, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Given their recent forms, both teams have had struggles. Coventry has lost three of their last five games, including a notable defeat to Birmingham City, but they've shown they can upset higher-ranked teams.
Manchester United, meanwhile, has not won in their last four matches and their recent games have highlighted potential defensive weaknesses, despite strong offensive outputs. The game will likely be closely contested with both teams creating scoring opportunities.
Given Unitedβs deeper squad and historical dominance, they might edge out Coventry, but expect a tight match that could either way, possibly extending into extra time.
