And then there were four. This weekend will determine which teams will play in the FA Cup Final on May 19. The first of the two semifinals will pit Manchester United against Tottenham. Those have been two of the top teams in England all year and both clubs look set to qualify for Champions League next year with a top four finish in the Premier League.
The second semifinal will see Chelsea face Southampton. The Blues have had a disappointing season, but they are fortunate to have grabbed the Saints instead of the other two EPL giants. Southampton looks likely to be relegated at the end of the year as the Saints are five points back of Swansea.
Don't miss the FA Cup Semifinals action this weekend on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22. The first match will be broadcast on Saturday on FOX at 12:15 p.m. ET, while the second will be shown on Sunday on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET. Both matches will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Check out all the action this weekend at BookMaker.
FA Cup Semifinals Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tottenham Hotspur +119
Manchester United +232
Draw +231
Over/Under 2.5
Spurs are very happy to have their superstar back in the lineup. The team did well to keep getting victories without Harry Kane, but this offense adds another dynamic with him in the lineup. Kane is arguably the best finisher in England and will look to be the difference maker in this one.
There is an issue for Tottenham though. The club may be shorthanded at the back against the Red Devils. Toby Alderweireld is slowly being worked back into the lineup after being out for six months, and both Kyle Walker-Peters and Danny Rose are questionable to play. Spurs have had some problems at the back recently, and if none of the three play that could be a problem.
No one seems to have any idea who will start for Manchester United. David de Gea is the only player that is likely entrenched in the lineup, as Jose Mourinho has said only three players have their spots in the starting eleven assured. Mourinho was hopping mad after United lost to West Brom at home on Sunday and replaced seven of his starters for their game against Bournemouth in the middle of the week.
Mourinho’s relationship with star acquisition Paul Pogba has been strained, but Pogba should be in the lineup here. He earned top marks for his play against Bournemouth and has been very sharp in recent weeks. As long as Pogba does play, I think Manchester United will be able to pull off the slight upset over Tottenham.
Southampton FC +563
Chelsea FC -208
Draw +331
Over/Under 2.5
These clubs met just last week in a match that saw Chelsea potentially deal a fatal blow to Southampton’s chances at staying up. The Saints were living the high life for most of the match, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime before going up 2-0 60 minutes in. However, in the span of eight minutes it all fell apart for Southampton.
Olivier Giroud came on for Alvaro Morata in the second half and provided the spark that he has so many times before. His brace sandwiched a Eden Hazard goal and gave the Blues a 3-2 victory to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.
Giroud probably earned a start this week after his performance on Saturday. He worked well with Eden Hazard and that could again create problems for Southampton. Unfortunately for manager Antonio Conte, he won’t have defender Marcos Alonso though. His challenge on Shane Long last week led to him being charged by the FA.
It’s hard to see the Saints winning this one. Mark Hughes’ contract incentivizes him to look more towards the Premier League, and staying up is more important than getting to the FA Cup Final. I see Chelsea winning this match 2-0.
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