Middlesbrough host Manchester City on Saturday in a match that could decide which of the two teams advances to the semi-finals of this season's FA Cup. The two teams have met in the Premier League in November and Middlesbrough secured a good 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium. Moreover, last season they even managed to knock Manchester City out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 away victory, and Middlesbrough were playing in the Championship at the time.
Some might say that Middlesbrough should rather focus on the Premier League at this point, since they have dropped into the relegation zone. But having the opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup is a big deal for any English club. In fact, the FA Cup was the only reason for joy in 2017 for the Middlesbrough fans, apart from that they haven't been able to win any matches. Daniel Ayala and Calum Chambers are injured, and manager Aitor Karanka will also have to do without Antonio Barragan.
Manchester City were held to a goalless draw at home by Stoke City this week, missing the chance to move up to second place in the Premier League table. The fight for a top-four league finish will probably be on their minds for the rest of the season, but the FA Cup and the Champions League will also be important targets for manager Pep Guardiola. Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, while Vincent Kompany might get a chance to play in this match after having returned to training.
Probable line-ups:
Middlesbrough: Guzan - Fabio, Bernardo, Gibson, Friend - Leadbitter, Roon, Forshaw - Traore, Negredo, Fischer
Man City: Bravo - Zabaleta, Stones, Kompany, Clichy - Fernandinho, Fernando - Navas, Silva, Sterling - Iheanacho
My prediction: Manchester City to win 2-1.
Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:
Middlesbrough win - 8.00
Draw - 4.75
Man City win - 1.44
03/14/17, 11:03:54 PM
