Manchester City-Huddersfield is a match valid for the third round of the FA Cup and is played on Sunday at 3 p.m.: lineups, predictions, TV and streaming.
The FA Cup is one of three trophies that made Pep Guardiola’s team’s season memorable last June. There was also the most prestigious domestic cup in the infamous Treble – what we call the Triplete in Italy – that in England had only been able to achieve by the hated cousins of Manchester United during the glorious era of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham.
Seven days before the Champions League final against Inter Milan, won 1-0 thanks to Rodri’s goal, Manchester City won its seventh FA Cup in the Wembley final, beating the Red Devils: Gundogan’s (now at Barcelona) double was decisive, making Bruno Fernandes’ goal in vain. The Cityzens want to try again this year and, like all Premier League clubs, begin their adventure in the competition from the third round, hosting Huddersfield, a team playing in the cadet league, the Championship, at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s men have not taken the field for a week: after their triumph in the Club World Cup they played two matches, both of which they won against Everton (1-3) and Sheffield United (2-0).
Starts title defense for City
Six points that allowed City to move closer to the top: leading Liverpool is now only five points away, but the champions of everything still have one more game to make up.
(Hudlin of Huddersfield (Instagram)
The Cityzens’ next league engagement is in seven days (against Newcastle) and the Catalan coach will certainly not snub the challenge – largely within his side’s reach – with the Terriers, who are coming off two consecutive defeats in their league. Huddersfield, in fact, is not in good shape at all: it is fourth-last, with just a three-point margin over the relegation zone. Coach Darren Moore is expected to field several second lines, whileGuardiola will keep Haaland, struggling with a foot problem, at rest. Rodri, hit by a family bereavement, Stones, Matheus Nunes and Bernardo Silva will also be absent. De Bruyne on the bench again: it is not excluded that he plays a few minutes.
The prediction
The feeling is that Guardiola wants to give minutes a bit to everyone but City’s victory is absolutely not in question. Therefore, something must be invented: Huddersfield has conceded several goals from spot kicks this season, which is why they will have to watch out for the Cityzens’ headers. One of the most dangerous is defender Aké, who may get space in the second half. City is likely to score three to six goals.
The probable lineups of Manchester City-Huddersfield
MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Walker, Ruben Dias, Akanji, Gomez; Lewis, Kovacic; Bobb, Foden, Hamilton; Julian Alvarez.
HUDDERSFIELD (3-5-2): Nicholls; Lees, Ayina, Helik; Kasumu, Rudoni, Wiles, Diarra, Edmonds-Green; Thomas, Koroma.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 5-0