Manchester City-Burnley is an FA Cup quarter-final match to be played on Saturday at 18:45: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
He will have mixed feelings, Vincent Kompany, when he sets foot on the Etihad Stadium turf again, the place where he played continuously for twelve years, from 2007 to 2019. The former Belgian central defender, now manager of Burnley, has linked much of his career with Manchester City, even becoming one of their most valued captains.
The new era of the Citizens, bought by Sheikh Mansour in the late 1910s, began soon after his arrival in Manchester from Hamburg. And in just over a decade he has gone on to lift 12 titles, including four Premier Leagues. In England, they are convinced that Kompany can also have a bright future as a coach: despite his first experience on the bench of an English club, he is leading the Clarets back to the top flight after last year’s bitter relegation on the final day. The mathematics are not in yet, but Burnley are on course to win the Championship: after thirty-seven matches they are 19 points ahead of third place and have not suffered a defeat in eighteen games. The last knockout was last December, when they were eliminated from the League Cup by Manchester United. In the most important national cup meanwhile, they went all the way to the quarter-finals, treating themselves to a prestigious challenge with Manchester’s other club, City.
City also want the FA Cup
Pep Guardiola’s men are fresh from a triumphant evening against Leipzig, who were swamped with goals (7-0), five of which bore the signature of an increasingly monstrous Haaland.
Guardiola
For the sixth consecutive season, Manchester have snatched a ticket to the quarter-finals of the cup with the big ears, with the clear intention of taking it home after a long series of unsuccessful attempts. The FA Cup allows them to take a break from the league for a moment, where they are in a thrilling head-to-head for the title with Arsenal, who are five points ahead and will be able to stretch their lead, if only momentarily, this weekend. The Citizens have always beaten Burnley in their last four FA Cup challenges, while the Clarets have only lost in their last ten meetings with the reigning English champions. Guardiola has no injury problems, but should rotate many players, including Haaland himself.
The Prediction
Despite the numerous changes that Guardiola is likely to make, Manchester City should get another comfortable win, in a stadium where they have yet to lose in 2023. In this FA Cup they have yet to concede a single goal and could continue to keep their goal unbeaten in this challenge as well.
Manchester City v Burnley line-up probables
- MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Laporte, Aké; De Bruyne, Phillips, Bernardo Silva; Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, Foden.
- BURNLEY (4-2-3-1): Peacock-Farrell; Roberts, Ekdal, Beyer, Maatsen; Cork, Cullen; Zaroury, Gudmundsson, Tella; Barnes.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
