Liverpool v Manchester City – FA Community Shield 2019 Betting Preview and Prediction
On August 4th, Manchester City and Liverpool will go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium hoping to win the Community shield to get a head start on the 2019/20 season. Featuring the champions of the EPL and the winners of the FA Cup, or in our case the champions oF EPL and runners-up, FA Community Shield once again promises to provide us with an exciting fixture between two of the strongest teams in the Premier League.
Manchester City looking to retain the trophy
Manchester City established themselves as a true powerhouse in the EPL by winning two EPL titles in a row and a total of 4 in the last 7 years. Boasting with some of the best players in the Premier League in addition to a world-class coach in Guardiola, the Sky Blues are a team to be reckoned with, which is something they will look to prove once more in the upcoming season. But first, they need to prove their worth by winning their 6th Community Shield and 2nd in a row against their arch-rivals Liverpool, which could be easier said than done.
Last year we saw a City defeating Chelsea 2:0 to win their 5th Community shield, which is something they will look to repeat against Liverpool as well. Seeing how winning the Community Shield leaves a strong statement before the season start, we can expect Guardiola to name a strong starting XI although he will most likely make a handful of changes throughout the fixture, considering each team has six allowed for this game. The final lineup has not yet been released, however, with no injuries except Mendy and Bravo, we do not expect any surprises in the starting XI for Man City.
Liverpool looking to leave a statement
Liverpool will enter the upcoming fixture hoping they can win their 16th COmmunity shield, which would ultimately make them the 2nd most successful team when it comes to the competition, only trailing Man United who boast with 21 titles. A win here would also break a spell of 13 long years without winning the Community shield, but just like for Man City, this one won’t be a stroll in the park for Liverpool. This, however, won’t stop the 2018/19 UCL champions who will look to leave a mark against the title rivals Manchester City and start off the season with a W.
Unlike Man City who played only 3 matches in the preseason, Liverpool took their time and played a total of 5 games in preparation for the 2018/19 season. Liverpool won against Tranmere (0:6) and Bradford City (1:3), but failed to do the same against Dortmund (3:2), Sevilla (2:1) and most recently Sporting (2:2). While by no means a perfect record, we can not put too much weight on those results as they were just friendlies to keep the players in shape, rather than doing their best to win.
Ahead of the fixture against Man CIty, Liverpool will be without Mane, who is not available due to his obligations in the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep him sidelined until after the game. Nonetheless, Klopp will have plenty of options which includes the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. With the exception of Mane who is rested and Shaqiri who is still questionable, Liverpool look set to appear at close to full strength and contest the Community shield.
Verdict & Prediction
Featuring two teams of such calibre, the 2019 Community Shield, just like any year before promises a fascinating game which should not leave the fans indifferent. Looking back at how Liverpool and Man City perform against each other, it’s often hard to call out a winner. In 6 out of the last 7 h2h fixtures between the Reds and Sky Blues, we saw at least 3 goals scored, which is something we expect to see on August 4th as well. Both sides will enter the fixture rested and determined to show their might against the opposition. As a match which will be a must-win for both sides, we can not expect either team to hold back, but instead push for a W. WIth that in mind, we expect the 2019 FA Community Shield to end with at least 3 goals, just like it was the case in 6 out of the last 6 h2h fixtures between Liverpool and Man City.
Prediction: Over 2.50 goals
Odds: 1.78 SBOBET
