Manchester City have already won the EFL Cup this season, and they will look to win another domestic trophy, with Southampton the first hurdle towards achieving that ojective.
Pep Guardiola’s men are undoubtedly the favourites heading into this game, and the former Barcelona manager has a better set of players at his disposal. They should be able to get the deal done and pick up a win here.
Meanwhile, Southampton will look to pull off an upset, having already beaten Arsenal in the previous round. The Saints are in impressive form, having picked up five wins and a draw from their last six matches across all competitions. However, most of their matches have been against second division opponents.
This is a massive challenge for them. That said, Southampton managed to beat Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final. It remains to be seen whether they can upset the odds once again. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Ruben Dias (muscular) and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are ruled out for the away side. Rodri is a doubt with a groin problem. Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Southampton, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the two full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Tijjani Reijnders will start in the defensive midfield role, looking to control the tempo and provide defensive cover, with Bernardo Silva adding drive and creativity alongside him.
Rayan Cherki will add creativity from the attacking midfield role. Finally, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo will add flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Southampton on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Silva, Reijnders; Doku, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland
Mads Roerslev and Alex McCarthy will miss out due to knee and wrist injuries, respectively. Southampton will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Daniel Peretz in goal.
James Bree and Ryan Manning will start in the full-back areas. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit the Premier League side on the break. Tyler Harwood-Bellis and Jack Stephens will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Cameron Bragg and Shea Charles will start in the middle of the park, looking to protect the back four and win the ball back for their side. Kuryu Matsuki and Leo Scienza will start on the flanks, looking to add pace and flair to the team.
Finn Azaz will start in the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack. Finally, Cyle Larin will lead the line for Southampton vs Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Manning; Charles, Bragg; Scienza, Azaz, Matsuki; Larin
The Manchester City striker is our key player to watch out for. The 25-year-old has been spectacular this season, and he will look to continue his goal-scoring run. Southampton have done well in recent weeks, but facing Manchester City is a completely different proposition.
They are likely to struggle to contain the home team here. Haaland is likely to get plenty of opportunities, and he has the quality to find the back of the net. He will look to score goals and create opportunities for his teammates here.
Southampton will look to put up a fight here, but this will be a difficult outing for them. Manchester City are full of confidence and momentum. The Citizens have picked up five wins in a row across all competitions, beating teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in consecutive matches.
City should be able to grind out a positive result here as well. A comfortable win is on the cards for Manchester City, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges, who will book a spot in the FA Cup final.
