All Betting Tips

Manchester City vs Liverpool betting tips: FA Cup semi-final preview, predictions and odds


These two have met twice before at Wembley with both the 2016 League Cup Final and 2019 Community Shield ending 1-1 with Manchester City winning on penalties.

Man City won all eight FA Cup semi-finals between 1933 and 2013, but have only won one of their last five. Liverpool meanwhile have won eight of their last ten FA Cup semi-finals.

Both teams to score is 4/7.

Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals is 20/21.

Liverpool to win and both teams to score is 15/4.

Match preview

For just the third time in FA Cup history, a semi-final is contested by the top-division's top two.

23 years and two days ago, Manchester United beat Arsenal in a Villa Park replay before, in 2017, Chelsea ousted Tottenham at Wembley.

Now, we're living in the era of Manchester City and Liverpool with these titans meeting for the second time in less than a week.

Last Sunday, Liverpool came from behind twice to hold Man City to a 2-2 draw in a huge Premier League clash at the Etihad.

Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus firing the Citizens in front, only for Diogo Jota and Sadio Mané to equalise respectively.

This leaves Manchester City one point clear at the top of the table and with a title race for the ages surely in store.

Then, on Wednesday, both clubs reached the Champions League semi-finals, keeping alive the possibility that they'll meet at Stade de France on 28 May.

Man City ground out a goalless draw away to Atlético Madrid, advancing 1-0 on aggregate, and will now face Real Madrid in the last four.

Meanwhile, in a far more entertaining game at Anfield, Roberto Firmino scored a brace as Liverpool drew 3-3 with Benfica.

But, having won 3-1 at Estádio da Luz eight days earlier, the Reds got through and they'll meet Europa League holders Villarreal in the semis.

There's still plenty for both to look forward to in the league and in Europe but, before all of that, attention is fully on the FA Cup.

Liverpool have won this competition seven times, only four clubs have more, but they last did so in 2006 and haven't reached the final for a decade.

So far in this run, the Reds have seen off Shrewsbury Town, Cardiff City, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest.

Having already beaten Chelsea in February's Carabao Cup Final, Jürgen Klopp is, belatedly, getting the taste for domestic silverware.

Manchester City meanwhile have seen off Swindon Town, Fulham, Peterborough United and Southampton to get this far.

In contrast to their opponents, this'll be their fifth semi-final appearance in six seasons, lifting the cup in 2019 as part of a domestic clean-sweep.

However, the other three have all ended in defeat, including the last two seasons when they've been beaten by Arsenal and Chelsea.

Will it be Man City's treble hopes of Liverpool's quadruple aspirations that come to an end at Wembley?

Manchester City team news

Pep Guardiola's team were involved in a mentally and physically exhausting game with Atlético Madrid as recently as Wednesday night.

In that one, both Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne went off injured, so both will all miss this game and, potentially, future matches too.

So, João Cancelo will revert to right-back with either Oleksandr Zinchenko or Nathan Aké coming in on the left.

Rúben Dias was on the bench in the Spanish capital but hasn't played since 1 March due to injury.

Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling were only on the bench in midweek, the latter did come on for 25 minutes, suggesting they'll both start here.

Riyāḍ Maḥrez has already scored four FA Cup goals this season, netting in rounds four, five and six.

The Algerian could become the first player since Romelu Lukaku in 2018 to score in four consecutive rounds for a Premier League club.

Liverpool team news

In contrast to their opponents, Jürgen Klopp rested and rotated against Benfica, knowing they had a healthy first leg lead to relay on.

So, even though they face Manchester United on Tuesday, all of his big guns should be back for this one.

Back-up Caoimhín Kelleher started February's Carabao Cup Final but, having kept goals in the last two rounds, Alisson is likely to don the gloves.

Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were all given very rare rests on Wednesday.

All three will return with Joël Matip likely to complete the back four, chosen over Ibrahima Konaté or Joe Gomez.

Fabinho and Thiago will rejoin Jordan Henderson in midfield with Naby Keïta and James Milner, an FA Cup winner with Man City, missing out.

Mo Salah and Sadio Mané both came off the bench in the Champions League, but the men who've scored 44 goals between them will be in the XI here.

Diogo Jota joined them in attack at the Etihad, and scored, but Luis Díaz and Roberto Firmino are also viable options.

- 101 Great Goals may earn commission from links on this page. Our content is always original. Note that all of our reviewers are compensated for contributing content to 101 Great Goals. Learn more.

For more betting tips content see here: Premier League betting tips & Football betting tips.

Premier League table:


Ben Gray

Ben Gray

Arsenal fan – follow them over land and sea (and Leicester); sofa Celtic supporter; a bit of a football '"encyclopedia".


Related Content