Manchester City vs. Leicester: EPL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Wednesday night, Manchester City will host Championship-bound Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium in a Premier League match, hoping to improve their prospects of finishing in the Champions League.

On the other hand, City secured their usual place in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, while Leicester have two weeks to reflect on another crushing league loss.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Win against Bournemouth on Sunday sent English champions Manchester City into their eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final, a feat they've accomplished despite their dismal 2024–25 season thus far.

Halftime came and went with the Citizens down a goalie after they had trouble handling the Cherries' high-intensity game plan. However, the game turned around after the introduction of 20-year-old Nico O'Reilly, who set up goals for Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush.

Thanks mainly to the academy graduate's genius, Pep Guardiola's squad will face off against high-flying Nottingham Forest at Wembley at the tail end of April. However, before that, the Premier League winners must survive four fierce battles to secure a spot in the Champions League.

In March, the current Premier League holders suffered a 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest and a frustrating 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Manchester's blue side. In between, they won the FA Cup against Bournemouth and Plymouth Argyle.

In 2024–25, Man City's home form has been less than stellar at the Etihad, which is widely considered the most intimidating venue for club football visitors since the turn of the decade. Guardiola's squad has only managed one point in their last two league matches at the Etihad, and they currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League.

Despite riding to the Championship title last season under Enzo Maresca's tutelage, Leicester City is now languishing in the Premier League adrift with fellow newcomers Ipswich Town and Southampton. This is despite predictions that the East Midlands club could defy trends and challenge for the top flight.

The terrified Foxes have gone scoreless in their previous six league games, allowing an incredible 16 goals. This has broken several unwelcome records and has fans worried about the widening gap in quality between the top 17 teams in England and the rest of the league.

Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Bruno Fernandes scored for Manchester United, ensuring a comfortable victory for the visitors before the international break. This was Ruud van Nistelrooy's sixth consecutive Premier League loss at the King Power Stadium.

Forget about their woes in the East Midlands for a second. On Wednesday night, Leicester will go north to the Etihad Stadium with the division's worst road defense, having let in an eye-watering 35 goals in 14 Premier League away games.

Despite facing heavy odds in preparation for this week's match in Manchester, Van Nistelrooy's struggling squad will draw some confidence from their January outing when Bilal El Khannouss and Jamie Vardy scored in the second half to seal an unexpected victory against Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester City x Leicester City Team News

With top marksman Haaland substituted off at the Vitality Stadium in the second half due to a knee injury, Man City's FA Cup run into the quarterfinals was marred by injury concerns.

Marmoush will likely start in place of the Norwegian on Wednesday night after the forward was seen leaving the South Coast pitch with a protective boot and crutches.

Academy product O'Reilly has made a strong case for a starting spot in the Premier League after altering the tide of the encounter against the Cherries; Matheus Nunes may be benched.

Rodri, who is reportedly aiming to make a comeback at the Club World Cup this summer, is still not available to the Citizens' aging midfield.

Similarly, winger Abdul Fatawu will be out of action until the 2019–20 season with a significant knee injury, adding another long-term absence to Leicester's roster.

The Foxes are keeping their fingers crossed that full-back Ricardo Pereira, a substitute in last week's loss to Manchester United, will be available to play this weekend.

While Harry Souttar is sidelined with an ankle injury, Van Nistelrooy has omitted Crystal Palace loanee Odsonne Edouard from first-team consideration.

Our Predictions

Manchester City to win & Under 3.5 goals @ 2.27 on Sky247.ng

Even though Manchester City has struggled recently at the Etihad, they should be quite confident in their ability to breeze past Leicester, which is in danger of relegation.

Wednesday night will be another gloomy occasion for the East Midlands team, the failing Foxes, who are trying to avoid an eighth consecutive loss in all competitions.

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