Entertaining Brighton take on Manchester United in a pulsating FA Cup semifinal tie at Wembley on Sunday.
BRI vs MUN Match Details
Date: Sunday 23 April 2023
Time: 16:30 (BST), 21:00 (IST)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
BRI vs MUN Match Preview
Brighton have played some of the most beautiful football under Roberto De Zerbi leaving the faithful and the neutrals in awe of the team’s style of play. The Seagulls are comfortably placed in eighth in the Premier League not far away from a European spot either and has reached the semifinals of the FA Cup. The Italian’s next big task will be to clear the hoodoo for his side at Wembley Stadium, having lost four out of their last five visits to the venue. The other was a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the final of this competition in the 1980-81 season and they meet the Red Devils once again in the last four this time. Brighton’s run in the FA Cup has been sublime starting with a 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough, eliminating Liverpool with a last-minute winner from Kaoru Mitoma in the fourth round and hitting Grimsby Town with another five goals in the quarterfinals. Their run of results has been erratic at times but they are a side possessing a threat to anyone and everyone with the ambition to reach the final to spoil a supposed Manchester derby at the showpiece in June.
That will be the fear of Manchester United to prevent a side more technical and talented than the Sevilla team that eliminated them from the Europa League on Thursday night. With the tie balanced 2-2 from the first leg, the Red Devils failed to adjust themselves to the hostile atmosphere created by the home fans or the pressing game produced by their side. That cumulated by two huge errors, first from Harry Maguire for Youssef En-Neysri’s opener then a howler from goalkeeper De Gea allowing the Moroccan to get his second in the 3-0 defeat with Loic Bade getting the other goal from a corner. Erik ten Hag hardly expected the evening to turn out like this as they lose the possibility of winning a cup treble this season. Still, United have a chance to finish off the campaign with another trophy next to their Carabao Cup triumph but an elegant Brighton stand before them and the final. They want to make the joint record of the 21st FA Cup semi-final appearance a joyous occasion having won all the ties against the Seagulls in the competition. Winning two cup titles and finishing in the top four of the Premier League will be a huge success considering the misery the club has gone through yet Manchester City have other ideas should they reach the final.
Recent Form (all competitions)
BRI: WLWDW
MUN: LWDWW
BRI vs MUN Team News
Brighton saw two injury scares in one game with right-back Joel Veltman and striker Evan Ferguson withdrawn in the first half. Both are a doubt for the game but the Seagulls are willing to have the Ireland international leading the line. Otherwise, Danny Welbeck could start upfront having scored against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
Manchester United suffered without their first-choice center-back at Seville with both lost in the first leg of the tie. Lisandro Martinez is ruled out for the season while Raphael Varane is out for weeks due to a muscle injury. However, the English giants are able to call back Marcus Rashford from injury as he featured in the second half of the defeat. Luke Shaw also made a return and he will move to center-back to allow another returnee Tyrell Malacia at left-back. Anthony Martial picked up a new injury concern in the second leg which means Wout Weghorst will regain his starting berth at the striker position.
BRI vs MUN Predicted Lineups
BRI: Robert Sanchez; Pascal Gross, Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, Pervis Estupinan; Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo; Solly March, Julio Encisco, Kaoru Mitoma
MUN: De Gea; Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst
BRI vs MUN Head to Head
BRI won - 5
Drawn - 5
MUN won - 19
(In overall meetings)
Manchester United have won five out of seven FA Cup meetings with Brighton and drawn the other two.
BRI vs MUN Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: De Gea (8)
DEF: Dalot (8), Dunk (8.5), Estupinan (8)
MID: Gross (9), B Fernandes (9), Mac Allister (8.5), March (9)
FW: Mitoma (9), Ferguson (9), Rashford (9)
Vice-captain: Kaoru Mitoma
Captain: Bruno Fernandes
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