Manchester City vs Liverpool
England – FA Cup
Date: Saturday, 16 April 2022
Kick-off at 15:30 UK/ 16:30 CET
Venue: Wembley Stadium.
Manchester City and Liverpool will meet in the FA Cup semi-finals barely a week after their Premier League duel.
Manchester City and Liverpool will face off again on Saturday afternoon, this time in the semi-finals of the 2021/22 FA Cup, just a week after exciting fans in a thrilling Premier League match.
The two top clubs in England have met twice this season, both in the league, with dramatic 2-2 draws in both matches.
However, there will be a clear winner on Sunday at Wembley when Manchester City and Liverpool compete for a place in the FA Cup final.
The Cityzens were embroiled in a grueling UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid following their weekend tie, which has made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In Spain, Pep Guardiola’s team salvaged a draw to advance to the semi-finals.
Liverpool, however, were kept to a tie in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Benfica.
Jurgen Klopp chose to rotate his players, but his club still managed to win 6-4 on aggregate to book a place in the Champions League semi-finals against Villarreal.
The Reds have gone seven games without losing in all competitions, while Manchester City have gone nine games without losing.
The Reds will be hoping to keep their quadruple dreams alive, while Guardiola’s City will be aiming for their second FA Cup success and a treble.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams before of this highly anticipated match at Wembley.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Head to head :
- The latest clash had ended in a 2-2 draw.
- Five of the past six meetings had four or more goals.
- It’s been four years since Jurgen Klopp’s men have kept a clean sheet against this foe.
- These two had locked horns in the Quarter Final of the 2017-18 Champions League, and then the Reds went on and won both legs.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Prediction :
Manchester City are likely to be missing Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne for Saturday’s game against Liverpool, after both were key players in the 2-2 draw last weekend in the Premier League.
Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s team enters the FA Cup fixture fresh off a grueling match against Atletico Madrid, which will have taken a toll on them both physically and mentally.
In the meantime, Liverpool was able to rest several key players against Benfica in midweek.
As a result, they may be able to pitch a significantly younger XI at Wembley on Saturday.
Given how evenly matched these two teams are, the relative freshness of the players could give Jurgen Klopp’s side a little advantage, which is why The Hard Tackle expects the Reds will defeat the Cityzens and qualify for the FA Cup final.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Team News :
On Wednesday night, Man City were at war with Atletico Madrid, as evidenced by Phil Foden’s bandaged head, while Guardiola also lost Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne to injuries, with the former twisting his ankle and De Bruyne requiring stitches in his calf.
Guardiola stated that the injuries had put his team in “serious jeopardy” ahead of the semi-final, but Ruben Dias was fit enough to start at the Wanda Metropolitano, while Gabriel Jesus has returned from his European suspension.
With Dias’s return, John Stones may move to right-back to cover for the injured Walker, or Joao Cancelo could switch wings when either Nathan Ake or Oleksandr Zinchenko returns to the left, giving Guardiola plenty of defensive alternatives.
Raheem Sterling will almost certainly be recalled as a result of De Bruyne’s problem.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, on the other hand, may have a full complement of choices after his players came through the second leg against Benfica uninjured, but Diogo Jota has surfaced as a slight doubt due to an injury.
Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all expected to return to the starting lineup, while Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara came off the bench against Benfica and should start.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are also expected to return to the starting lineup, with Luis Diaz joining them after being substituted shortly after the hour mark in the second leg against Benfica.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Laporte, Ake; Silva, Rodri, Gundogan; Jesus, Sterling, Grealish
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz
