The FA Cup semi-final match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will take place on April 27 at Wembley Stadium in London. Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest has won the FA Cup twice in their history. Their last trophy was claimed in 1959, and they reached the final once more 25 years ago. This season's tournament has been challenging for Nuno Espírito Santo's side, as they only secured a win in regular time at the start, defeating Luton Town 2-0. In the next three rounds, the club advanced thanks to better penalty execution, notably overcoming Premier League sides Ipswich and Brighton.
- No more than two goals were scored in regular time in 6 of Nottingham Forest's last 7 FA Cup games.
- Nottingham Forest avoided defeat in 90 minutes in 8 of their last 9 matches in this tournament (1 win and 7 draws).
- The club has not lost the first half in their last eight FA Cup matches (3 wins and 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)
Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Murillo, Neco Williams, Nikola Milenković – Danilo dos Santos de Oliveira, Ryan Yates – Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolas Dominguez, Elliot Anderson – Taiwo Awoniyi.
Ola Aina's participation in the match is still uncertain.
Manchester City
The Citizens faced a tough quarter-final away match against Bournemouth, winning 2-1. However, their opponents in the first three rounds were much easier – they advanced past a Championship bottom-dweller, as well as League 1 and League 2 teams. If Pep Guardiola's side defeats Nottingham Forest, they will reach the final of this tournament for the third consecutive time: last year they lost to Manchester United, while the previous season they won the trophy (for the 7th time in their history), again facing their city rivals in the final.
- The club has won 15 of their last 16 matches in this tournament.
- At least three goals have been scored in Manchester City's last five FA Cup games.
- The Mancunians have scored at least two goals in 11 of their last 14 games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Ederson – Josko Gvardiol, Abduqodir Khusanov, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias – Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic – Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva – Erling Haaland.
Rodri Hernandez, Nathan Ake, John Stones, and forward Erling Haaland are currently in the club's infirmary. Goalkeeper Ederson is still questionable.
Referee
Michael Oliver (England)
Matches – 24 (Premier League and FA Cup, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 110;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;
Red cards shown – 6;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 8%.
Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
Pep Guardiola's side has an excellent track record in the FA Cup: consistently reaching the later stages of the tournament, winning in regular time, and scoring heavily. However, the upcoming match is unlikely to be easy for the Mancunians, as Nottingham Forest has a well-organized team this season, which rarely loses in the league. In the FA Cup, they have shown resilience, snatching victories in penalty shootouts.
Both teams are contending for a Champions League spot in the current Premier League. The Citizens are currently third, one point ahead of Nottingham Forest, but Nuno Espírito Santo's side has a game in hand. Despite the league motivation, both teams will have a special focus on the FA Cup, making it difficult to predict a winner in this matchup.
I believe that if Nottingham Forest loses, it will be by no more than one goal. In their last 23 official matches, Nottingham Forest has only lost by a margin of two or more goals once. Meanwhile, Manchester City has achieved just four victories by more than one goal in their previous 12 official matches.
My prediction – Nottingham Forest with a handicap (+1)
