City demolished Salford 8-0 in the FA Cup 3rd Round last year. Karl Robinson’s in-form League Two side will be eager to avoid another heavy loss.
Best bets for Man City vs Salford City
- Man City -3 (Handicap 3-Way) at odds of 1.43 with 1xBet
- 2nd Half (Half with most goals) at odds of 1.90 with 1xBet
- Antoine Semenyo (1st goalscorer) at odds of 4.10 with 1xBet
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Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction – Man City 4-0 Salford City
- Goalscorers prediction – Man City: Semenyo, Haaland, Cherki, Alleyne – Salford City: N/A
Manchester City have been drawn to face Manchester neighbours, Salford City, for the second successive FA Cup campaign.
Pep Guardiola fielded some of his first-choice players, including Haaland, Rodri, Semenyo, and Cherki, in the FA Cup 3rd Round. Consequently, they dominated League One side Exeter City 10-1. City are fighting on two fronts in domestic cups, as they’ve reached the EFL Cup Final and the 4th Round of the FA Cup.
In the Premier League, City have been unstoppable at home. They’ve lost just one of their 12 home matches and conceded only eight goals in that run. City have also managed to score three or more goals in 57% of their home EPL games. It shouldn’t be difficult for them to score even more goals against a League Two outfit.
Salford City are sixth in League Two, with a serious chance of automatic promotion as they have a game in hand. The Ammies have a 55% win rate in the fourth tier so far this season.
Despite their strong league position, they are the lowest-scoring side in the top seven of League Two. They average just 1.33 goals per away game at fourth-tier level. Salford also have selection issues, with Oliver Turton and Josh Austerfield absent and Adebola Oluwo serving a suspension.
Probable lineups for Man City vs Salford City
Manchester City expected lineup: Trafford, Ake, Khusanov, Alleyne, Lewis, Rodri, McAidoo, Cherki, Reijnders, Semenyo, Haaland
Salford City expected lineup: Young, Garbutt, Cooper, Dorrington, Cesay, N’Mai, Butcher, Woodburn, Longelo, Graydon, Udoh
City to win by at least a four-goal margin
City won by a nine-goal margin in the 3rd Round and scored eight goals against Salford last January. City are much more of a force to be reckoned with in 25/26, which is concerning for the Ammies.
The bookmakers indicate that there is only a 54.64% chance of City winning by four or more goals. On paper, Salford are ranked lower than Exeter, so it’s difficult to expect anything but a hammering for the League Two side. Additionally, Salford have a good chance of automatic promotion from League Two. With a cup run unlikely, Karl Robinson may be satisfied with preventing a repeat of last January.
Based on Salford’s away form in League Two, they clearly take risks, as they’ve won eight and lost six of their 15 away games. They are also overperforming their xGA at present away from home. They are facing an xGA of 1.40 per away game and conceding 1.20 goals per match.
- Man City vs Salford City Bet 1: Man City -3 (Handicap 3-Way) at odds of 1.43 with 1xBet
Expecting a flurry of second-half goals
City scored six goals after half-time in their staggering 10-1 win over Exeter in the 3rd Round. Pep Guardiola’s team did not stop attacking or slow down, even after they were winning by a lot.
In fact, it was quite the opposite. This is a major warning sign for a League Two side that will struggle to keep up with City’s ball and player movement for 90 minutes.
City have scored in both halves in 57% of their home Premier League games this season. Salford will do all they can to keep a tight defence in the opening exchanges. If they have more joy than Exeter, they could keep the scoreline respectable in the first 45. However, City’s superior fitness and player options will have a serious impact as the second half progresses.
- Man City vs Salford City Bet 2: 2nd Half (Half with most goals) at odds of 1.90 with 1xBet
Backing Semenyo to lead from the front
Erling Haaland is the evident choice for City as a first goalscorer pick. However, he’s failed to score in all three of his domestic cup appearances so far this season. That’s why we’re backing Antoine Semenyo to find the net first against Salford.
Semenyo has an average 50% strike rate across all competitions since joining from Bournemouth. The Ghanaian international is available to back as the first goalscorer at a probability of only 25% this weekend.
The 26-year-old was City’s player-of-the-match in their 10-1 domination of Exeter in the last round. He scored one with his two attempts at goal, while registering four key passes and creating one big chance. This player is at the peak of his form, and he’ll be motivated to make another big impact this weekend.
- Man City vs Salford City Bet 3: Antoine Semenyo (1st goalscorer) at odds of 4.10 with 1xBet