Manchester City vs Salford City Prediction: Ammies can grab a famous goal at the Etihad

Salford City take the short trip across Manchester on Saturday evening (17:45, BBC One) to take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the third round of the FA Cup.

Below you can find my Manchester City vs Salford City prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, as the League 2 visitors eye a shock at the Etihad Stadium.

Team News

Ruben Dias, John Stones and Oscar Bobb are still unavailable for selection for Manchester City, head coach Pep Guardiola confirmed this week, but Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson Moraes is back fit after a four-game absence.

Guardiola is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting XI with a Tuesday trip to Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium just around the corner in the Premier League, and so the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden could be rested, at least from the beginning.

Kyle Walker, Matheus Nunes, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku are among those who are in line for starts on Saturday.

Football Odds

Salford City will be without Stephan Negru after the defender was recalled early from his loan spell by Oxford United this week. Kelly Nmai, Dan Chesters, Josh Austerfield and Frankie Okoronkwo remain sidelined, while former Liverpool player Ben Woodburn is rated as doubtful.

Manchester City vs Salford City Odds

Man City are 1/33 to triumph inside regulation time at the Etihad while Salford are as big as 40/1, implying they have a 2.4% chance of success. The draw, which would send the tie to extra time, is priced at 16/1, and both teams to score is available at 13/8. It's 25/1 for the Ammies to win the tie by any means.

Anytime Goalscorer - Matheus Nunes (MCI) @ 12/5

With Guardiola expected to rotate his team on Saturday, there should be an opportunity for Nunes to stake a claim for a more regular inclusion in the Premier League, a competition he hasn't featured in since his costly mistake in the Manchester derby defeat to Manchester United (1-2) on December 15.

Nunes has flattered to deceive since his big-money move from Wolves in the summer of 2023 and has never been a prolific scorer in his career, but all three of his goals for Man City have come this season and in cup competitions.

The Portugal international scored his first goal for the club in the 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Watford on September 24 and struck twice the following month, first in a Uefa Champions League thrashing of Sparta Prague (5-0) before netting a consolation in City's 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Nunes needs a pick-me-up to reignite his City career and a strike on Saturday would help to build some bridges. Against a fourth-tier side, the 26-year-old should back himself to make an impact at the Etihad, and at 12/5, he provides some value in a market where there isn't much with the Premier League giants expected to win easily.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Manchester City & Yes @ 15/8

I don't think I need to state my case for why I think Man City will win on Saturday given the gulf in quality and finances between the two clubs. Instead, I will explain the reasons behind backing Salford to score at the Etihad.

Man City beat Southampton 1-0 in the Premier League on October 26 before embarking on a crazy run of just one win in 13 games, keeping just a single clean sheet. Guardiola's side shipped 28 goals during that period as their defensive issues were exposed - and then some.

They ended a five-match wait for a shutout in their 2-0 win at Leicester City on December 29 but failed to record back-to-back clean sheets as they beat West Ham United 4-1 last Saturday. City were coasting in that contest, going four up before the hour mark, but some sloppiness saw them allow Irons striker Niclas Fullkrug to nip in and net a consolation for the visitors.

Salford don't have a centre-forward like Fullkrug or any attackers anywhere near the levels of Mohammed Kudus, but they are a side in serious form having won their last six games in League 2 to shoot up to second place under Liverpool-supporting boss Karl Robinson.

The Ammies have scored in 18 of their last 20 outings and should feel they have nothing to lose at the Etihad this weekend, so with City likely to play high up the field, they should be able to launch a few counter-attacks with the feeling that they can hurt their cash-rich hosts who have struggled to defend transitions this season.

Offers

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any FA Cup game on Saturday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Sunday’s FA Cup games.

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

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