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Will Manchester City Take Their Chance? City v Cardiff Match Preview

By David Crook

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: (EDITORS NOTE: THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO BLACK & WHITE) Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola looks on before the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: (EDITORS NOTE: THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO BLACK & WHITE) Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola looks on before the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
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And there we have it. Manchester City have the opportunity to do two things against lowly Cardiff at the Etihad – go back to the top of the League and add some useful positive goal difference. But things are never quite so simple.

Any of us Manchester City fans who have been around for some time will know how this script tends to go. This game against Cardiff City who are sat entrenched in the relegation spaces has banana skin written all over it. Just imagine the media glee we would have to face if Cardiff beat the mighty City? Can you see Jamie Carragher’s face looming like something out of the film IT with that fixed spitty grin?

It is just unthinkable. We have to hope our leader Pep Guardiola shows this potential embarrassing calamity to the players during their team talk because this is a game where we simply need to win. It would be fantastic to watch us make a statement and bang in 7 goals to leave the fear of god struck into everyone else but the reality is i would be quite happy with Sterling scoring the winner with his backside in the 97th minute.

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Cardiff will prove to be exactly the kind of opposition we would rather not play at this point in the season. They will be big and strong and try to attack us on the break. They will kick and harry us into making mistakes and we will have to withstand that in the days before we play in the FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley.

Man City should be too strong to suffer any kind of reverse against Cardiff but there will likely be some strong squad rotation for this match. Rotation tends to mean we can lose some rhythm, making it hard for momentum alone to carry us over the line. It will be interesting to see what team selection Guardiola undertakes.

In defence I think it likely one of either Vincent Kompany or Nicolas Otamendi will start to partner either John Stones or Aymeric Laporte. At full back could this game see the long awaited return of Benjamin Mendy or will his continued lack of focus on training and recovery have put paid to his City career? On the right side this is an ideal game for Danilo to stake his place.

Midfield is where the selection gets harder to predict. Knowing Guardiola though I suspect he will probably go much stronger in this game than even many of the fans would hope. He strikes me as a man who can probably smell the victory and will be driven to achieve it. So Gundogan will retain his defensive midfield slot with Kevin De Bruyne just in front of him. Will he go with Foden or David Silva in that final slot in the centre of the midfield?

Up front we know the injury to Aguero means that Jesus will start and I predict both Sane and Mahrez will be given a chance to start alongside him. With some important and showy games coming up hopefully they will take their chance to impress.

Next. Manchester City's Sergio Aguero Injury Update. dark

Man City Square Predicted Starting XI

Goalkeeper

Ederson

Defence

Danilo, Stones, Kompany, Mendy

Midfield

Gundogan, De Bruyne, Foden

Attack

Sane, Jesus, Mahrez

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