Manchester City are the team full of stars, but I wouldn’t call them a star team which they were before. Yes, I know that the club doesn’t have any financial problems and most of the people in Manchester support City, but… I still don’t see the togetherness on the pitch. There are separate stars, but they’re playing all by themselves. Maybe that’s why they had some unexpected losses earlier this season, when everyone nailed them to win. Usually, that happens when teams don’t have enough moral strength and unity. Though pure class has never been enough.
I don’t think it was a good idea to announce the departure of their present manager – Manuel Pellegrini, and the arrival of a new one – Pep Guardiola. Why do that right in the middle of the season? Possibly, it may have influenced the footballers’ morale state and they lost twice in a row at home to their title-chasing rivals – Leicester and Tottenham. So now they’ve nearly lost any real chance of winning the league after that. Surely losing the young and promising Kevin De Bruyne has also been a big blow. They are now left to hope for and count on Sergio Aguero’s talent. He can win any game by himself. Although, he hasn’t been at his best this season either.
Liverpool have become a different team after Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho’s return. They’ve started playing with diversity and much more joy in attack. They’ve become better on flanks and actually show more traditional English football.
Also, I hope that they’ll have Martin Skrtel back fit for the final. Our former Zenit defender will certainly make Liverpool’s defense more solid. Martin without any doubt is an experienced defender, a real fighter which any team would need in the final.
Last time Liverpool and Manchester City met, the Reds thrashed their opponents 4-1 at Etihad, and what is important to note, it happened after Klopp’s arrival. So I think at Wembley, Liverpool will also have good chances of success. It has to be an entertaining match and I lean over towards “both teams to score and Liverpool to win”. And also “Liverpool to lift the Cup”.