Will the magic of the FA Cup work for Sheffield Utd and Brighton?
A resilient second-division side and a contender for European places. This weekend, Sheffield United and Brighton face the two Manchester giants for a place in the FA Cup final.
The Seagulls have already beaten the Red Devils, notably last summer (2-1 on August 7th), while the Blades have everything to play for against a powerful City side.
Sheffield United: The surprise package that's hanging on
The Yorkshire club, currently second in the Championship, are having a great season. Consistent, committed and passionate, Sheffield United are winning one success after another and are seven points clear of third-placed Luton. The club has only lost one of its last five games and has beaten Blackburn 3-2 in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
This Saturday, everything has to be done again for Paul Heckingbottom's men. It's a big step up, and the Skyblues will have to make a big effort against a team that is walking on water. But the underdogs could still be in with a chance. The Cityzens have been playing one game after another and a certain mental and physical fatigue is being felt. Pep Guardiola himself said after the Champions League return match against Munich that he "didn't know how the team would have time to recover before the game against Sheffield".
This may make it easier for the opposition to show fluidity in their play. "There will be times when we will have to show that we are determined to get hold of the ball and show courage. We know City will have a lot of possession. When we have it, it's important to make the most of it and what we've done against them in the past should give us the belief to do that," Jayden Bogle told the Sheffield Star.
For their part, Manchester City will obviously be fielding their best talents. At this stage of the competition, confidence is important. A defeat against a second-tier club just before the clash with Arsenal on Wednesday would be a huge blow to morale and would be unacceptable to Guardiola.
Brighton: The loser of the big boys?
In a match that promises to be more competitive, Brighton take on Manchester United. The southern English side have had a great season and are keen to build on it by winning the title. But the League Cup winners are a formidable opponent.
But Roberto De Zerbi and his men are not intimidated. De Zerbi and his men are not intimidated by the fact that beating the top teams in the Premier League has been an institution this year for Brighton. First with a three-game winning streak against Liverpool, then a cup win over Arsenal, then two successes against Chelsea, the club has proven its ability to respond to big events.
With Manchester United's squad largely decimated by injury and weakened by Thursday's Europa League defeat, Brighton have their cards to play. With no Evan Ferguson, but with players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma, the match promises to be explosive.
United , like their neighbours, have a string of games and deadlines to meet. It's difficult to fight on all fronts, so Brighton could take advantage of this.
"We are ready and we want to succeed. We will play with our style, our DNA, emotion. To be able to play this kind of game is an honour. We have to get used to it. We're aiming for Europe. We have to be responsive," the coach insisted in a press conference on Friday.
