Manchester City vs Man United: Team News, H2H, Predicted lineup and Match Preview

- Man City have triumphed in the last three Manchester derbies, including last season's FA Cup final.
- Phil Foden has netted five goals in his last five matches.
- Man Utd have managed just one clean sheet in their last 12 games.
- Man City have scored at least 2 goals in 10 of their last 12 matches.

Manchester City v Manchester United: Emirates FA Cup Final
Manchester City v Manchester United: Emirates FA Cup Final | Marc Atkins/GettyImages

Manchester City and Manchester United will clash at Wembley in the FA Cup final for the second consecutive season. The Citizens aim to complete the double, while the Red Devils must win to secure European football for next season.

Manchester City vs Manchester United Form

Pep Guardiola, Peter Bankes, Eric Ten Hag
Manchester City v Manchester United: Emirates FA Cup Final | Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

For the first time in FA Cup history, the same two English teams will compete in the final for two consecutive seasons. City triumphed over their rivals in the 2022/23 final, with İlkay Gündoğan scoring twice to help secure their historic treble. A year later, despite Gündoğan's departure, City are aiming for another trophy, seeking to complete a double this season. The Citizens recently clinched their record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title with a 3-1 win over West Ham and now hope to win the FA Cup in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.

Pep Guardiola's team has been nearly unbeatable, remaining undefeated in their last 35 matches across all competitions (29 wins, 6 draws). This impressive run, the longest by an English team in the Premier League era, surpasses the record previously held by their rivals and current opponents, Manchester United. City will look to extend this streak at Wembley.

For Manchester United, winning the FA Cup is their only path to securing European football for next season. Despite a final day victory over Brighton, they finished 8th in the Premier League, marking their worst finish ever and the first time they ended the season with a negative goal difference (-1). Erik ten Hag's future is now under serious scrutiny. However, this is a Manchester derby, and anything can happen, as demonstrated in United’s last two rounds of the competition.

In the quarter-finals, they mounted a dramatic comeback against Liverpool at Old Trafford, equalizing in the 87th minute to force extra time, and then equalizing again after Liverpool's third goal. Substitute Amad Diallo scored a memorable stoppage-time winner before being sent off for his celebration.

Their semi-final against Coventry was a different story. United narrowly advanced on penalties after squandering a 3-0 lead to the Championship side by the 70th minute. Although they were almost embarrassed to celebrate their penalty shootout win, it secured their place in the FA Cup final, making them the team with the most appearances in the competition’s history.

How can I watch Manchester City vs Manchester United?

Manchester City will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final at 3 pm on Saturday, May 25th. The match will be broadcast live in the UK on BBC One, ITV 1, and STV.

Manchester City vs Manchester United H2H

Last 5 meetings:

. Man City 3-1 Man United | Premier League |March 03, 2024
. Man United 0-3 Man City | Premier League |October 29, 2023
. Man City 2-1 Man United | FA Cup | June 03, 2023
. Man United 2-1 Man City | Premier League | January 14, 2023
. Man City 6-3 Man United | Premier League |October 02, 2022

Manchester City vs Manchester United Team News

Stefan Ortega, Ederson
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City - Premier League | Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Manchester City

City head to Wembley nearly injury-free. Although Ederson is out, Guardiola might have chosen cup specialist Stefan Ortega over his first-choice goalkeeper regardless. Mateo Kovacic and Nathan Ake, who were benched for the West Ham match, will aim to prove their readiness in training.

Lisandro Martínez
Manchester United v Newcastle United - Premier League | Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

Manchester United

For United, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez returned on the final weekend of the league season and could start as the defensive pair at Wembley. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount, and Luke Shaw are all striving to regain fitness, while Anthony Martial is unlikely to participate, even if he recovers from groin surgery in time.

Predicted Lineup

Manchester City possible lineup:

Ortega (GK), Gvardiol, Akanji, Dias, Walker, Rodri, Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Doku, and Haaland

Manchester United possible lineup:

Onana (GK), Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Amrabat, Diallo, Garnacho, McTominay, and Fernandes

Manchester City vs Manchester United Prediction:

Ruben Dias
Manchester City v Manchester United: Emirates FA Cup Final | Robin Jones/GettyImages

Backing against masterful Manchester City in any cup final seems unreasonable. They excel in these high-stakes, one-off matches, as demonstrated against Chelsea, showing they can win without always dominating. City have consistently outperformed United recently, making it hard to envision Ten Hag’s team winning at Wembley, although they are expected to put up a strong fight.

Prediction: Manchester City 4-2 Manchester United