Southampton vs Man City: FA Cup Preview as City Hunt for Treble

• Manchester City will be desperate to earn a semi-final spot when they battle Southampton in the last eight of the FA Cup
• However, the English champions will be wary of the Saints who have proved to be a thorn in the flesh this term
• A win over Southampton will see City increase their chances of winning the treble this term as they are firmly in three competitions

Southampton are scheduled to lock horns with Manchester City in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon, March 20, with a semi-final ticket up for grabs.

The Saints are yet to win the competition in more than four decades, with their triumph coming back in 1976.

City, on the other hand, have won the tournament on six occasions, the last of which was in 2019.

Match preview

Southampton have endured a difficult month this March, with Ralph Hasenhuttl's men entering this match off the back of three straight league defeats.

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They initially lost by four goals at Aston Villa before going down 2-1 to both Newcastle United and relegation-battlers, Watford.

However, they boast a strong record against City this season - proving to be a thorn in the flesh of the English champions who are chasing three trophies this term.

Pep Guardiola's charges are firmly in three competitions, including the Champions League and the Premier League.

However, they must be feeling the heat in the EPL title race, with Liverpool hot on their heels as the season wears out.

Team news

Southampton are expected to miss the services of only two first-team players in the shape of Alex McCarthy and Lyanco.

Apart from the duo, Hasenhuttle has an otherwise full squad to select from as he eyes a spot in the last four.

As a result, the tactician is expected to select a strong starting XI with a mixture of youth and experience featuring.

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In the Man City camp, Ruben Dias and Benjamin Mendy remain unavailable for selection.

Guardiola selected a strong XI in the previous round against Peterborough and that is again expected to be the case here, but there will be changes from the side that started against Palace last time out.

Predicted line ups

Southampton:

Caballero; Walker-Peters, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud; S Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Diallo, Djenepo; Adams, Broja

Manchester City:

Steffen; Walker, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, Jesus, Mahrez

Chelsea book spot in FA Cup semi

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Middlesbrough vs Chelsea FA Cup meeting ended in a 2-0 win in favour of the Premier League giants.

Two first-half goals from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech were enough to earn the Blues a comfortable win at Riverside Stadium.

Thomas Tuchel's side now face an anxious wait to discover their semi-final opponent as they push to win the FA Cup for the first time in nearly four years.