Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City Preview and Prediction FA CUP 2017
Competition: English FA Cup 2016-17
Date: Saturday, 18th February, 15:00 GMT
Stadium: The John Smith’s Stadium.
Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City betting tips
Promotion-chasing Huddersfield could be good enough to earn a replay against a Manchester City side who might be distracted by their Champions League engagement on Tuesday.
City have struck their best run of form since they started the season with 10 straight victories, winning their last four games at the right sort of time to build some momentum for the business end of the season when the trophies will be handed out.
But now comes a big test of their overall credentials as European football returns, and that has to be right up there with the Premier League as the top targets for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero on the ball during a 2016 International Champions Cup match (Getty Images)
The FA Cup will be running a distant third in that respect and there has to be a chance Guardiola will rest several key players ahead of the Monaco game, albeit City then have a blank weekend to follow because their scheduled opponents Manchester United are playing the EFL Cup Final.
In fairness, Guardiola fielded strong line-ups in the third and fourth rounds, but there was less margin for error away to Premier League rivals West Ham and Crystal Palace and they were both despatched with ease.
However, despite being a division lower, Huddersfield have been in much better form than those London-based opponents and won 11 of their last 13 games to boost their chances of automatic promotion, with Newcastle and Brighton now having left that door slightly ajar.
The Terriers’ home record is particularly strong at present and, clearly full of confidence, they are worth chancing at a tasty price to earn a second crack at City over at the Etihad.
Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City stats
These clubs have not met in any competition since 1999-2000 when they were both in what is now the Championship
They have gone head-to-head in six cup ties in which Huddersfield have never beaten Manchester City
The last FA Cup meeting was in the 1987-88 third round when City advanced in a second replay – two months after they had won 10-1 against Huddersfield at Maine Road!
Recommended bets
over 2.5 goals