The stage is set. The FA Cup Final will take place on Saturday, June 3rd at Wembley Stadium between rivals Man City and Manchester United, with the opportunity to lift the grand prize very much in front of both sides. The kick-off is scheduled for 10 AM ET. The Cityzens last won the competition in 2019, while the Red Devils haven’t captured an FA Cup title since 2016. Keep reading for the Man City vs Manchester United picks.
Before we get into the odds, match preview, and prediction, check out the biggest Vegas online soccer betting sites if you plan to put money down on this clash.
City is a heavy -205 favorite at Bovada online sportsbook while United comes back at +475. This is the third meeting of the campaign, with the Sky Blues thrashing the Red Devils 6-3 back in the fall before a 2-1 defeat in January at Old Trafford.
Man United is actually the second-most successful club in FA Cup history, winning the competition 12 times. Arsenal is the top dog with 14 titles. The Red Devils haven’t been in the final since 2018, though. As for City, they have six trophies to their name. The reigning champions are Liverpool.
The Cityzens just finished up a fantastic Premier League campaign, capturing the title for the second season in a row after besting the Gunners. With one piece of silverware in the trophy case, there are two more to go. Pep Guardiola’s men have the opportunity to finally conquer the Champions League, clashing with Inter Milan on June 10th. But prior to that, the focus will be on winning the FA Cup.
The Sky Blues cruised through the previous round of the tournament. They knocked out Chelsea and Arsenal in the early stages before beating Bristol City, Burnley, and lastly, Sheffield United in the semifinals. Coming into this game, City is also in exhilarating form. Aside from a loss to Wolves on the final day of the EPL season with mostly reserves playing, Pep’s men are enjoying a 25-match unbeaten run, winning 20 during that span and drawing five times.
But, there are a few injury concerns ahead of the showpiece. Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji are in a race against time to be ready for Saturday, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish are expected to return after missing the Brentford game.
The Red Devils are a club with a rich history of success and based on 2022-23, they’re getting close to living up to expectations again. Erik ten Hag’s side won the Carabao Cup and most importantly, earned a spot back in the Champions League, which should technically be a bare minimum for United.
Man United finished the season on a very positive note, winning four in a row. That included a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea and then a 2-1 win over Fulham last weekend. Marcus Rashford was the star of the show up top, scoring 17 goals and tallying five assists in 35 league appearances. He also has a goal and an assist in the FA Cup.
ten Hag’s group took out some respectable opponents along the way en route to the final, defeating West Ham, Reading, Everton, and Fulham all by 3-1 scorelines. The semifinals, however, were a much different story. Brighton pushed the Red Devils to the absolute brink as the two clubs sat in a scoreless stalemate after 120 minutes. But, United eventually won in PKs to set up a Manchester Derby FA Cup Final.
When it comes to injuries, Anthony Martial recently picked up an ankle injury and will miss out here. Lisandro Martinez is sidelined until next season with a severe foot issue, while Antony is expected to play despite an ankle injury versus Fulham.
It’s no surprise to see City as such a favorite. After all, they’re the better team on paper. While United did claim a win in January on home soil against them, I expect the Sky Blues to produce the goods and capture the FA Cup before heading to Istanbul next week.
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