At 22:30 Beijing time on Saturday, the semi-finals of the English FA Cup will kick off, and Manchester City and Liverpool will meet for the second time in 6 days. Both teams played in the Champions League quarter-finals in midweek, with City drawing hard away to Atletico and losing both De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, while Liverpool played lightly at home to draw 3-3 with Benfica. Both physically and overall, this time Liverpool have the upper hand. City, on the other hand, face tough choices.
As the two best performing teams in the Premier League this season, Both Manchester City and Liverpool have shown amazing strength. Manchester City lead the Premier League, with the Champions League and FA Cup also advancing to the final four, retaining hopes of winning the European Treble. Liverpool have already won the League Cup, the Premier League is only one point behind Manchester City, the FA Cup and the Champions League have also advanced to the final four, in other words, they may win four titles this season, which is an unprecedented peak honor in English football. But tonight's game, there must be a team on both sides to lose a championship.
Against Atletico, Manchester City paid a bloody price in the opening 12 minutes, and youngster Foden suffered a head injury in the fight with Felipe, wrapped in bandages and insisted on playing all over the field. In the second half, De Bruyne and Kell Walker also both suffered injuries, and Manchester City's true core was injured in the ankle caused by the collision, which is still being evaluated, and the time of absence is unknown. Kyle Walker was in a similar situation, injured during the breakout and wearing protective boots when he boarded the bus at the end of the game. But at least one thing is certain, neither of them will be able to play tonight's game.
Manchester City have always been known for their wide range of soldiers, but today Liverpool have more than the thickness of their squad. The two Premier League encounters between the two sides this season have ended in a 2-2 draw. Now liverpool are strong and strong, and the 2nd round of the Champions League has hidden 6 main players and still easily qualified. In this case, it is not wise for Manchester City to be tough with their opponents. For Manchester City, the best option is to let the main players rest, send substitutes to deal with this FA Cup semi-final, and focus on defending the Premier League and impacting the Champions League, which are the two titles they are most concerned about.
Of course, even if the rotation is made to play in the FA Cup, Manchester City may not be determined to lose the game. In the 2018/19 season, they still forced Liverpool to complete the Premier League defense without De Bruyne for most of the time, and this time they faced the same opponent again, even if Tintin hung up the free card, Guardiola still had enough outstanding players in his hands to meet Liverpool, and the FA Cup battle of King Mountain was unpredictable.