Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs Man City: Keys to FA Cup Victory

Liverpool will face an uphill battle when they travel to the Etihad on Saturday, April 4th, to face Man City in the Quarterfinal round of the FA Cup. While playing Erling Haaland will always prove difficult, there is reason to believe the Reds can pull off a shock win.

Reds Getting (Somewhat) Healthy

Alexander Isak will be back on the bench for Liverpool for the first time in over 100 days. While not expected to start, his mere presence should provide a boost. Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike are good to go, as well as Federico Chiesa. So Liverpool will not be lacking for attacking options in the lineup or coming off the bench. Combine that with significant injuries to City’s backline, and the Reds could be picking the ball out of the back of the net a lot.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté are still top-class defenders. Haaland likes to score with his head, and while the Reds have struggled with set pieces this season, the duo have been winning defensive headers against the run of play, plus they always seem to step up in big games. Alisson will still be out due to an injury, but Mamardashvili has come up with some big stops as his replacement.

Cup Success Vs City

While Liverpool have struggled away to City in EPL play, winning just six of their last 26 meetings, they have won three times in the FA Cup, the most recent being in 2022. If you go back even further, this will mark the 100th match played away from Anfield between the two side and Liverpool have won 37, lost 36, and the rest were draws.

Hold Nothing Back

With the EPL title out of reach, expect Arne Slot and the Reds to throw everything except the kitchen sink at City. The boss has said that the Reds' goal is to add two more trophies to the collection, so he is going to play his frontline starters. Salah will start on the wing, Ekitike up top, and the list goes on. I also would not be shocked if Andy Robertson gets a start in the back to provide more stability in a hostile environment

Predicted Starting XI

You can see our predicted lineup below. The only major shakes I see are starting Szoboszlai in the midfield and Robertson in the back to help slow down the services to Haaland coming from the wings.

Have Your Say

What would your lineup be? I chose a more defensive-minded one, but you can go with offense. Just use the Squad Selector Tool and have fun.

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