Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will face off at Wembley on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-final, with a place in the final at stake.
Context
Nottingham Forest reached the semi-finals after winning three consecutive penalty shootouts in earlier rounds, becoming the first team to do so in a single FA Cup campaign. Despite some inconsistency in recent weeks, Forest have been impressive in cup competitions and are also competing for a Champions League spot in the Premier League.
Manchester City booked their semi-final place with a comeback win over Bournemouth and are on a ten-match unbeaten run across all competitions. However, City face injury challenges with several key players sidelined.
The two teams met twice this season, each winning their home game with a clean sheet. Forest won 1-0 at the City Ground in March, while City won 3-0 at the Etihad in December.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo will be without Neco Williams and Ryan Yates due to suspension but expects Ola Aina, Eric Moreira, and Jota Silva to be fit. Forest will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Matz Sels in goal. The defense includes Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Harry Toffolo. Nicolas Dominguez and Elliot Anderson will anchor midfield, with Morgan Gibbs-White as the number 10. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi provide width, and Chris Wood leads the attack.
Probable Lineup: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Toffolo; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be without James McAtee, Ederson, Nathan Ake, John Stones, Oscar Bobb, and Erling Haaland. Stefan Ortega will start in goal. The defense will be Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly. Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan will form the midfield pivot, with Kevin De Bruyne as the number 10. Omar Marmoush leads the attack, supported by Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva.
Probable Lineup: Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Gundogan; Silva, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush
Key Stats
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Nottingham Forest have lost four of their five FA Cup meetings against Manchester City.
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Forest are the first team to win three penalty shootouts in a single FA Cup campaign.
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This will be Forest’s second match at Wembley since its 2007 reopening.
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Manchester City aim to reach their third consecutive FA Cup final for the first time.
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Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in more FA Cup goals than any other player since 2016 (28).
Player to Watch: Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne is the FA Cup’s all-time leading goal contributor since his debut in 2016, with 28 goal involvements. With his departure from Manchester City confirmed at season’s end, he will be motivated to help his team secure silverware.
Nottm Forest vs Manchester City Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Manchester City
Forest’s home victory earlier this season and penalty shootout resilience suggest a narrow win, but City’s quality means it will be a closely fought contest.
Nottm Forest vs Manchester City Live Stream
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