FA Cup Quarterfinal Pick & Preview: Bournemouth vs Manchester City – March 30, 2025
This weekend, SpookyExpress.com sets its sights on the FA Cup quarterfinal, featuring some thrilling ties that are great for both watching and betting at Everygame.
A tactical battle between Spanish masterminds unfolds in this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals, as Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth welcome Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
Road to the Quarterfinals
Bournemouth booked their place in the last eight with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fifth round, while still-reigning Premier League champions Manchester City survived an early scare to defeat Plymouth Argyle 3-1.
An unexpected name opened the scoring at the Etihad in the previous round, as towering Plymouth defender Maksym Taloverov stunned the home crowd with a first-half header. However, City’s young talent Nico O’Reilly equalized just before halftime, netted a second late on, and saw Kevin De Bruyne seal the win in stoppage time.
Manchester City’s dominance in the FA Cup is well documented, with the Sky Blues reaching the semi-finals in each of the last six campaigns – an unprecedented feat in English football. Furthermore, Guardiola’s men have won their last seven FA Cup quarter-final ties, reinforcing their reputation as tournament specialists.
Bournemouth’s Struggles and Historic Ambitions
Once in contention for a European push, Bournemouth have endured an inconsistent run of form leading into this high-stakes encounter. Between late November and late January, the Cherries went on an impressive 12-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. However, Iraola’s side has since suffered four losses in their last eight outings, including a 2-1 home defeat to Brentford before the international break.
Despite sitting 10th in the Premier League, Bournemouth remain within reach of a top-seven finish, which could secure European qualification. However, their most realistic route to continental competition lies in an unprecedented FA Cup triumph. The Cherries have never reached the semi-finals, previously falling at this stage in 1957 (2-1 to Manchester United) and 2021 (3-0 to Southampton).
Their journey to the last eight has been impressive, featuring a dominant 5-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, a solid 2-0 win over Everton, and a dramatic shootout triumph over Wolves, capitalizing on a costly Matheus Cunha error.
Manchester City’s Quarterfinal Pedigree
While City’s FA Cup run remains intact, their Premier League form has faltered in recent weeks. A shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest and a 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion before the break left Guardiola’s men sitting fifth. However, England’s strong UEFA coefficient means they are still well-placed for Champions League qualification.
Bournemouth and Manchester City have never met in the FA Cup, but the Cherries claimed a historic first-ever win over Guardiola’s side in November’s 2-1 league triumph. Whether they can replicate that feat remains to be seen, as City eye yet another trip to Wembley.
Team News and Possible Starting Lineups (Starting Xis) of Bournemouth and Manchester City
Guardiola’s squad remains largely unchanged from before the break, with John Stones (thigh), Nathan Ake (foot), Manuel Akanji (abductor) and Rodri (ACL) all sidelined. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Ederson has recovered from an abdominal issue and is expected to start, while Josko Gvardiol’s minor knock sustained on international duty is not considered serious.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth will be without two key defensive figures, as left-back Milos Kerkez and centre-back Dean Huijsen are suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in this season’s FA Cup. Julio Soler is expected to fill in at left-back, while Marcos Senesi could return to the squad but will not play the full 90 minutes, according to Iraola. James Hill and Ilya Zabarnyi are likely to form the center-back partnership, with Adam Smith (calf), Julian Araujo (thigh), Luis Sinisterra (hamstring), and Enes Unal (knee) also unavailable.
Bournemouth: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Lewis Cook, James Hill, Ilya Zabarnyi, Julio Soler; Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams; Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Marcus Tavernier; Evanilson.
Manchester City: Ederson Moraes; Rico Lewis, Abduvohid Nematov, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Maximo Perrone, Ilkay Gündoğan; Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Jérémy Doku; Erling Haaland.
Spooky Express Betting Prediction
Manchester City enter this FA Cup quarterfinal as slight favorites, but Bournemouth’s home advantage and attacking threat make this a fascinating encounter. Pep Guardiola’s men boast a formidable quarterfinal record, having advanced to the semi-finals in each of the last six seasons. However, their recent defensive issues and Bournemouth’s aggressive style under Andoni Iraola suggest this may not be a straightforward task for the reigning champions. The Cherries have already stunned City once this season and will be confident of finding the net again, particularly given the visitors’ injury concerns at the back.
Both sides possess attacking firepower, making this an enticing contest. However, with Bournemouth missing two key defenders and City’s rich FA Cup pedigree, Guardiola’s men are expected to advance. The Cherries may find the net more than once, but ultimately, City should outgun their hosts in an action-packed affair, securing a record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final berth.
With both sides favoring an attacking approach and struggling with key defensive absences, goals should be on the cards. Manchester City’s quality makes them the likely winners, but Bournemouth’s resilience means an upset cannot be ruled out. Our recommended bet for this FA Cup quarterfinal is Manchester City or Draw (X2) and Over 2.5 Goals at odds of +120 at EveryGame for 5/10 units, banking on City’s ability to at least force extra time while expecting a high-scoring affair at the Vitality Stadium.
Spooky Express Free Play: Outcome and Totals – Manchester City or Draw (X2) and Over 2.5 Goals +120 at EveryGame for 5/10 Units
