Still ruing their loss in the FA Cup final, Manchester City take on Bournemouth in a crucial clash for the Champions League places in the final home game of the Premier League 2024/25 season.
MCI vs BOU Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 20 May 2025 / Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Time: 20:00 (BST), 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
MCI vs BOU Match Preview
Conceding early from a deft strike from Eberechi Eze, opposition keeper Dean Henderson going controversially unpunished for touching the ball away from Erling Haaland's feet outside the box and then saving Omar Marmoush’s penalty amid a string of blockbuster saves with Manchester City failing to curve open Crystal Palace’s rigid defence means the club will go trophyless for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s debut season at the club in 2016-17. The Spaniard also lost consecutive cup finals for the first time in his managerial history after suffering defeat at the same stage to Manchester United last year. City will now hope that they do not slide further in this disastrous campaign, having slipped down to sixth after Aston Villa and Chelsea won their game in the Premier League in the battle for the Champions League spots. Just one point separates third from seventh in a nail-biting race, with the top five qualifying for the League Phase next season, but Guardiola’s side has destiny in their hands. The last home game of the season against Bournemouth will be tricky, but winning the previous four games at the venue in the league makes them confident of taking three points to be in a better position ahead of the final weekend. Also, an eighth straight home win against the Cherries could motivate them to bounce back from their tough FA Cup final loss.
Manchester City’s victory in the FA Cup would have benefitted Bournemouth as an eighth-place finish would have ensured Conference League qualification, sitting just two points off it in 11th. With Crystal Palace booking the spot in the Europa League, Andoni Iraola's side are now left with certain scenarios to favour them for a ticket to Europe, including Chelsea winning the European third-tier club competition next week, but finishing seventh in the league at the same time. They can also qualify for the competition if the Blues finish sixth or Newcastle United finish below them, with Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion needing to slip off. That is a lot to fall in their path, but the Cherries see no reason to give up their fight with a positive away record of losing just once of the previous 12 trips to ensure they enter the final game with some momentum. However, Bournemouth lost to City in the FA Cup, despite winning the reverse clash in the league, with their five-game unbeaten run ending in the 1-0 loss to 10-man Aston Villa 10 days ago. Iraola's men hope to produce a resilient show in this tough game, knowing a defeat could end their quest. They will want to take advantage of City's wasteful display in the FA Cup final and the goalless draw against bottom side Southampton a week prior.
MCI vs BOU Recent Form (all competitions)
MCI: WWWDL
MCI vs BOU Recent Form (Premier League)
MCI: WWWWD
BOU: WDDWL
MCI vs BOU Predicted Lineups
Manchester City
Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Savinho, De Bruyne, Marmoush; Haaland
Bournemouth
Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
MCI vs BOU Dream11 Match Prediction
Despite City’s failure at the final, they are running well at home, but Bournemouth have shown a strong away performance, even though their winless record at this venue is concerning. A narrow 2-1 win for the hosts looks to be on the cards as they have taken this fixture more seriously than the FA Cup final.
MCI vs BOU Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: De Bruyne
Vice-captain Pick: Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland, Evanilson
MCI vs BOU Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Kepa (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 434)
DEF: Gvardiol (Cr - 9, Pts - 1449), Huijsen (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 494), Kerkez (Cr - 8, Pts - 499)
MID: Kluivert (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 757), De Bruyne (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 907), Gundogan (Cr - 7, Pts - 712), Tavernier (Cr - 7, Pts - 376)
FW: Evanilson (Cr - 8, Pts - 422), Haaland (Cr - 9, Pts - 1498), Semenyo (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 665)
Vice-captain: Antoine Semenyo
Captain: De Bruyne
