* PRE-MATCH PREDICTIONS
Manchester United's status as the only English club to have won the treble - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - has been under serious threat in recent years and many have suggested that City could match that feat this season after their Premier League triumph. In the first major final between the two Manchester clubs, Guardiola's side are aiming for a treble, while Ten Hag will be hoping to lift a second trophy in his first season at Old Trafford. "Of course, I understand how the fans feel about that," said the United boss. "We will do everything to give them a second trophy."
MU (right) is one of 5 teams that have defeated Man.City in the Premier League this season.
United beat Newcastle in February to win the League Cup, meaning a win tonight would see them complete their first domestic double. However, Man City are a different beast. The Citizens' run of 12 consecutive wins to leave Arsenal far behind in the Premier League title race is nothing short of impressive.
This will be United's 21st FA Cup final, a record they share with Arsenal. However, the downside is that defeat tonight will mean the "Red Devils" have lost more FA Cup finals than any other team (9). Can coach Ten Hag and his team avoid this sad record?
The task ahead for United will not be simple. Man.City have scored the most goals (17) in the FA Cup and are capable of lifting the trophy in 90 minutes with a clean sheet throughout the tournament, something no team has done since Bury in 1903.
With all the above analysis, Opta's supercomputer gave Man.City a 63.4% chance of winning after 90 minutes, compared to just 16.5% for MU. That means there is a 20.1% chance of the match going into extra time and possibly a penalty shootout. While it is difficult to predict how the match will go in this case, it is clear that the gap in skill between the two teams will be eliminated on penalties.
Source link
Comment (0)