Coventry City vs Manchester United: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Manchester United look for a second consecutive FA Cup Final when they host surprise package Coventry City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Red Devils know defeat will not only end their season but likely secure the fate of manager Erik Ten Hag. Coventry, meanwhile, hope to move one step closer to a dream final against the winner of either Manchester City or Chelsea in the other semi-final. Kick-off is set for 3:30pm UK time on Sunday afternoon.
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Coventry City
The Sky Blues secured passage to the semi-finals with a stunning, last-gasp 3-2 victory away at Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Late goals Ellis Simms and Haji Wright stunned the Molineux crowd to confirm Coventry's first FA Cup semi-final since they won the competition back in 1987.
Their attacking output has been superb so far in the competition, averaging 3.8 goals per game, though eleven of their 19 goals have came against League One's Oxford United and the National League's Maidstone United.
Nevertheless, Coventry have had little trouble in finding the net in the Championship, averaging 1.57 goals per game and failing to score in just 17% of their league fixtures. They have also performed admirably in defence, conceding only 1.24 goals overall, but will face their sternest test yet against Man. United this weekend.
One week since an incredible #EmiratesFACup showdown between @ManUtd and @LFC 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MtPjJvlVyy
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 24, 2024
Manchester United
Ten Hag's men have been far from convincing as of late and once again caught the headlines for an alarming 20 shots faced in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth at the weekend. United fans will be rightly concerned with the amount of chances conceded this season, with last year's runners-up averaging 1.91 expected goals against (xGA) in the Premier League this season.
This drops to 1.41 in their FA Cup games so far, though their first ties came against lower league Wigan Athletic and Newport County respectively. Their thrilling 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the quarter-finals saw them concede 28 shots, and only poor finishing from Jurgen Klopp's side prevented the Red Devils from bowing out of the competition.
Nevertheless, despite the worrying defensive trends, United have only lost twice in their last eight matches, though five of these games ended in a draw.
Prediction
Even with United's current tendency to give away chances to opposition, they should still have far too much quality for this Coventry side. The leaky United defence will no doubt provide the Championship outfit with opportunities though, and OddsNow back the Sky Blues to reward their fans with a goal at Wembley before eventually suffering defeat.