Wednesday, at 19:45, Manchester City receives Burton Albion’s first-hand semifinals of the League of England Cup. Pep Guardiola will use more reserves on Etihad, as he has done in the England Cup win against Rotherham, 7-0.
The odds tell you everything about the difference in size between the two teams, which are separated by three divisions. Qualifying in the last act seems an easy task for England’s champion, even though there will be no stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Segio Aguero or David Silva. With Willy Caballero in between and with reserve players like Mahrez or Foden, “citizens” seek to simplify their mission in return when they play away.
Without Mendy and Mangala, Guardiola has a full bout to choose a first 11 competitive, and Burton will practice a predictable game: overcrowded defense and maximum attention to the defensive device. It remains to be seen just how long Etihad guests will resist in the face of the “citizens” assault. Manchester City comes after 3 consecutive wins, 3-1 with Southampton, 2-1 in the derby with Liverpool and 7-0 with Rotherham United. The good shape of the hosts should be seen again on the scoreboard, just like Sunday.
Burton Albion is ranked 9th in League One and is coached by legendary Brian Clough’s son, Nigel, who hopes to take the small club in central England into the Championship play-off. No important names in the bout, Burton will rarely go out of his own and will have little chance of repeating the good results lately: 4 consecutive failures, with wins in front of Wycombe (3-1) and Rochdale (4-0 ) and draws with Plymouth (1-1) and Bristol Rovers (0-0). On the way to the semifinals, Burton eliminated Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Burnley, but the black-and-white adventure seems to be over.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / NO @ 1.36
