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Man City vs Chelsea tips
- Game to be decided in extra-time - 6/1 bet365
- Cole Palmer to score any time – 13/5 Unibet
- Rodri over 0.5 shots on target – 13/10 Betway
Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea on Saturday has taken on greater significance in their campaign following Wednesday's Champions League exit (5.15pm, BBC One).
The Cityzens’ defence of their European crown ended abruptly in a 4-3 defeat on penalties to Real Madrid, the two sides having played out a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their quarter-final showdown at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side had been favourites to lift the trophy for a second straight year, but now those hopes are over, there's a greater emphasis on their Premier League and FA Cup quests.
Chelsea, too, are motivated by the chance to cap what has been an underwhelming season with a trophy and show that the club is trending in the right direction under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues are a best-price 13/2 in the FA Cup odds to win the competition, although that will change if they can pull off a minor upset at Wembley.
They've acquitted themselves well against City this season, playing out two draws home and away in the league and should be the fresher of the two sides given City were taken to extra-time by Real just three days ago.
Despite their exploits during the week, Guardiola’s men are still odds-on to beat Chelsea with football betting sites. But, the Blues have proven to be a thorn in their side this season.
Extra-time may be needed at Wembley
The two sides could not be separated in the Premier League this season. They played out a classic at Stamford Bridge last November, exchanging eight goals as Cole Palmer came back to haunt his former club with a stoppage-time penalty to earn Chelsea a share of the spoils.
Pochettino’s men had City on the ropes in the return fixture after Raheem Sterling continued the theme of former players scoring against Guardiola’s side.
But, Rodri was on point late in the game to rescue a point, which now looks being very important in the race for the Premier League title given City’s slender lead over Arsenal and Liverpool.
Facing a stubborn opponent will not have been top of Guardiola’s agenda after a brutal Champions League defeat. City’s players were out on their feet after extra-time with Madrid, while the manner of their loss on penalties may be weighing on their minds.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have had six days to prepare for the contest after handing out a 6-0 drubbing to Everton on Monday night.
Although the headlines shifted to the behaviour of Nicolas Jackson and Noni Mandueke rather than the win, there were still encouraging signs for Pochettino’s men on the pitch.
Given the way they’ve played City this season, and their propensity to cause them problems at the back, we like a price of 6/1 with bet365 for this game to be decided in extra-time, sparing City another round of penalties.
Man City vs Chelsea Tip 1: Game to be decided in extra-time- 6/1 bet365
Palmer to continue goal glut
Mistakes have been at a premium during Guardiola’s seven seasons at the Etihad, but allowing Palmer to leave might turn out to be a rare error of judgement.
The 21-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements by the Spaniard at the end of the summer transfer window as he agreed a £42.5m move to Chelsea. Eyebrows were raised at the size of the transfer fee, but now the England international looks like a steal.
Whereas City have struggled for production from Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, Palmer has gone strength to strength under Pochettino.
Guardiola may be wondering why he didn’t keep Palmer on the books as a direct replacement for Riyad Mahrez, whose presence has been missed this season.
Palmer further enhanced his reputation with four goals in Chelsea’s 6-0 hammering of Everton.
He is now level with Erling Haaland in the Premier League Golden Boot race, although betting sites still favour the Norwegian to end the season with the most goals in the top flight.
The Golden Boot rivals are in contrasting form right now with the Englishman firing on all cylinders, while Haaland is struggling to produce his best.
The Chelsea forward relishes the big occasion and we’re backing him to score any time at odds of 13/5 with Unibet.
Man City vs Chelsea Tip 2: Cole Palmer to score any time – 13/5 Unibet
Beware of Rodri
Rodri is one of the best big game players in world football. When the spotlight is on and the pressure at its highest, the Spaniard comes to the fore.
Chelsea know all too well about his talents, Rodri having scored twice against the Blues this season, including the equaliser late in the game at the Etihad. Although his talents are more prominent in the middle of the park, Rodri has still managed to notch eight goals in all competitions.
He has a clean strike on his right foot, and always seems to find space on the edge of the box, making him a nightmare for opponents, who will certainly have him well down the list of goalscoring threats.
That also makes him a valuable commodity for bettors, and the 27-year-old is priced at 13/10 with Betway to register a shot on target in the FA Cup semi-final. Bear in mind this bet would have paid out in three of Rodri’s last five games.
Man City vs Chelsea Tip 3: Rodri over 0.5 shots on target – 13/10 Betway
Free bets for Man City vs Chelsea
The FA Cup semi-finals are one of the highlights of the football season and by signing up for gambling sites you can unlock free bets and more for betting on the action.
Parimatch are running a special sign-up offer to mark Saturday's semi-final and new customers can get an enhanced price of 25/1 on City to win the semi-final, or 50/1 for Chelsea to come out on top.
To claim the one-off welcome bonus, open an account via the link below and opt it to this promotion. Next, make your initial deposit via debit card or Apply Pay and place a maximum £1 bet on either City or Chelsea to win in the 90 minute match market.
If your selection wins, you'll be paid out in cash at the normal price on your initial wager, with the extra amount credited to your account in free bets. For example, a £1 bet on Chelsea at 1/1 would return £2 real cash and £49 in free bets.
Read all the terms and conditions of Parimatch’s offer before signing up. If you do bet on the FA Cup semi-finals or any other sport this weekend, gamble responsibly.
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Last Updated: 19th April 2024, 02:19 PM
