City make six changes for FA Cup semi-final clash

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Guardiola: Positive thoughts required to control fatigue

Stefan Ortega Moreno, Kyle Walker, Sergio Gomez, Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez all come into the side following City’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Ederson, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Rodrigo and Kevin De Bruyne all drop down to the bench while Guardiola had already confirmed that Nathan Ake would not be available through injury.

Also among the subs is Phil Foden as he continues his comeback from appendix surgery during the international break.

CITY XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Gomez, Gundogan (c), Bernardo, Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ederson, Dias, Phillips, Stones, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Foden, Palmer, Lewis

SHEFF UTD XI: Foderingham, Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson, Baldock, Berge, Norwood, Fleck, Lowe, Jebbison, Ndiaye.

Subs: Davies, Basham, McBurnie, Sharp, Coulibaly, Bogle, Clark, Arblaster, Brooks

Guardiola said his side were too exhausted to celebrate after reaching the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday following our 4-1 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich in Germany.

So it’s perhaps not a surprise that he has made a number of changes to freshen up his starting line-up with such a busy schedule between now and the end of the season.

Walker and Gomez would seem obvious picks for full-backs either side of Manuel Akanji and Laporte in the middle of defence. 

Guardiola has options further forward with a potential 4-2-3-1 system that would see Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan together with Alvarez playing just behind Erling Haaland. 

Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno returns to the starting line-up after played in our four previous FA Cup matches.

The 30-year-old has a 100% save record in the competition – as we have a kept clean sheet in each of our games on the way to Wembley.

Oretga claimed clean sheets against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Burnley, although he was substituted at half-time in our 3-0 fifth-round win over Bristol City.

He also follows in the footsteps of the legendary Bert Trautmann who was the last German goalkeeper to play for City at Wembley in the FA Cup.

Sheffield United have won all four of their FA Cup ties against City, most recently a 2-1 fourth round victory in the 2007/08 campaign.

In all competitions, City are unbeaten in 12 home games against Sheffield United (W7 D5) since a 3-2 loss in the second tier in October 1987.

Top-flight clubs have won the last 13 FA Cup semi-final ties against sides from a lower division, since Sunderland beat Norwich 1-0 at Hillsborough in the 1991-92 campaign.

City are featuring in the FA Cup semi-finals for the sixth time in the last seven seasons and for the fifth consecutive campaign. However, they've lost four of their five ties in this time, and could become the first side in FA Cup history to lose a semi-final in four consecutive campaigns.

Sheffield United are looking to reach the FA Cup final for the first time since 1936. The Blades have lost five semi-finals in that time, most recently a 5-3 loss to Hull City in 2013-14.

City have won all four of their FA Cup games this season by an aggregate score of 14-0. The last team to reach the FA Cup final without conceding a goal en route were Everton in 1965/66.

Phil Foden has been involved in seven goals in his last six FA Cup appearances (4 goals, 3 assists). Overall in the competition, Foden has won 16 of his 19 games, with his only three defeats coming in his three appearances at Wembley.

CITYZENS:   - Score Predictor_sheffutd_facup_22/23_all