nt The FA Cup final will feature a Manchester derby for the second consecutive year, with Manchester City taking on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Manchester City has the opportunity to secure a repeat victory in the FA Cup as well as achieve the double for the third time in the club's history. Read on for an expert Man City vs Man United betting prediction and explore tips and stats for FA Cup odds in 2024.
- FA Cup Final
- May 25, 2024 (Saturday)
- Manchester City vs Manchester United
- 10 AM EST
- Wembley Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom
- ESPN+
Manchester City vs Man United Betting Odds
Manchester City, the recent winners of the Premier League, are heavily favored to win at Wembley and secure another domestic double. They are listed at (-305) to win in regular time, while their local rivals United are considered underdogs at (+745). A draw, which would force extra time, is available at (+475).
Want to better understand the 1X2 moneyline market? See our soccer betting tips and learn about FA Cup betting odds.
Man United Betting, Results in 2024 and European History
Erik ten Hag has faced significant criticism from Manchester United fans due to his management of the team, which resulted in an 8th-place finish this season despite high expectations. Unless they win on Saturday, Manchester United will miss out on European competitions next season. While FA Cup winners qualify for the Europa League group stages, the runners-up do not have any guarantees. Manchester United has struggled defensively, mainly due to injuries to key center-backs, leading to significant lineup changes.
The decision to move Casemiro to the backline has been challenging for the Brazilian, and ten Hag's defensive strategy has not yielded positive results. The team has conceded a record number of shots this season, placing a heavy burden on goalkeeper Onana, who has faced unfair criticism as a result.
It is uncertain whether Erik ten Hag will continue as Manchester United's manager after this season. Speculation has linked major figures like Jose Mourinho to the potential vacancy, but a win in the FA Cup final could potentially alter the situation. However, such a scenario would mirror the situation in 2016 when Louis van Gaal was replaced by Mourinho despite winning the FA Cup.
Is Manchester City Tired of Winning?
This Saturday, Manchester City is almost ready to raise yet another trophy. They won their sixth Premier League title in the previous seven years, all under Pep Guardiola, with their victory over West Ham on Championship Sunday. In fact, during Guardiola's leadership, City has won 17 titles. The Catalan former midfielder has experienced so much success that boredom is starting to set in. Pep has stated that he is hesitant to stay with the team for an extended period of time.
With two FA Cup finals in a row, Manchester City has essentially conquered everything. Even though soccer supporters are tired of their success, Phil Foden, who will shortly turn 24, has stated he still enjoys it. The City winger played a key role in their 3-1 victory.
Foden, who scored two goals, including a spectacular one in the opening minute of play, was crucial to their 3-1 victory on Sunday. His goal appeared to calm people down such that City could play to their advantages and dominate possession for most of the match.
Guardiola values possession, but United seems to perform best when they are not in possession of the ball. Their opponents had more possession in their most recent victories against Brighton and Newcastle, while the inverse was true in their defeats to Arsenal and Crystal Palace. This might be because of United's difficulties building out of the back, but it might also be because of their prowess on the counterattack, where quick forwards like Rashford and Hojlund shine. Game flow will play a major role in how Guardiola instructs his players to control possession.
Recent Meetings between Manchester City and Manchester United
Because derbies are more unpredictable and produce more variable results due to their fiery nature, they are always a little harder to handicap. In these kinds of games, patterns found during the season may be ignored, but their head-to-head records can still give an idea of how each team stacks up against the other. This match, which is limited to Manchester, has been heavily skewed in favor of the east side of the city.
In their last seven meetings, City has prevailed six times, most recently in the FA Cup Final in 2023. City has won 3-1 at the Etihad and 3-0 at Old Trafford this season. In those matches, Manchester City has combined for 48 shots overall and 7.33 expected goals. Additionally, the sum of these matches has failed to be less than three goals on six straight occasions.
Man City vs Man United Betting Prediction and Free Pick
It makes sense to think about placing a wager on another Manchester City rout in light of these statistics. However, United has demonstrated their tendency to score goals in this competition, and contrary to popular belief, City has not played as well on defense. Furthermore, City would be likely to sit on a lead if they are fortunate enough to hold one late in the game because there is no aggregate goals rule in this one-time showcase event. In light of this, I favor focusing on the totals market.
Given that United is presumably happy to let up as many shots as possible, betting on the over is a no-brainer in this case. In the event of a 2-1 or 3-0 holdout late, I will pay a little bit extra to obtain the round number three, but I greatly like the possibility of this match scoring four goals or more to a low-scoring final. It's just not how these two teams prefer to play their game.
Odds are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change.
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