BET BUILDER
Pablo Sarabia to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Rayan Ait-Nouri to have 1 or more Shots On Target
Wolves Goalkeeper to make 2 or more Saves
Over 4.5 Wolves Corners
Half Time Draw
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com now
Wolves v Coventry
FA Cup match at Molineux, Wolverhampton
TV: ITV1 & ITVX, Saturday, 12:15pm
Pablo Sarabia to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has plenty of injury concerns heading into this crucial FA Cup tie, particularly in the forward areas. With Hwang Hee-Chan already out of action and Matheus Cunha given a small chance of featuring, seeing Pedro Neto and Jeanricner Bellegarde limp off in their recent Premier League clash with Fulham was the last thing O’Neil needed.
However, he does still have the talented Pablo Sarabia to call upon and we expect him to see even more of the ball in advanced areas. He will attract plenty of attention from Coventry and the Spaniard will have a big say on proceedings. He has been fouled an average of 1.5 times over his last ten appearances, and that was mostly with Neto and Co. on the pitch with him.
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Rayan Ait-Nouri to have 1 or more Shots On Target
The performance of Rayan Ait-Nouri in Wolves’ victory over Fulham highlights how important the Algerian international will be in the coming weeks. Over the course of that game he played left back, left wing back, right wing, and as a striker at various points. The injury situation may present him an opportunity to play a more forward-thinking position and having scored against Fulham he has shown he is capable of doing so.
Even from his usual left-sided role, he is hardly one to turn down the invitation to get forward. He has had at least a shot on goal in eight of his last 13 appearances for club and country. The fact he achieved a season-high two shots on target against Fulham whilst often playing higher up the pitch is a good indicator of what could be to come.
Wolves Goalkeeper to make 2 or more Saves
Make no mistake, Coventry are not here to make up the numbers. This is a team that gets bodies forward at every opportunity and the fact only the breakaway four of Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, and Ipswich have achieved a higher Championship xG compared to the Sky Blues suggests they’re more than capable of creating chances here.
Over the Premier League season, Wolves’ goalkeeper Jose Sa has been making an average of just over 3.20 saves per game. With Wolves having limited attacking options available, there will be times they come under pressure, and with Coventry possessing in-form strike duo Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, who have scored a combined 14 goals over the last nine games, the Championship side should test their Premier League opponents.
Over 4.5 Wolves Corners
For all that Wolves have several injury concerns, their game plan and way of playing isn’t expected to change too much. O’Neil’s side are one of the most effective Premier League clubs on set pieces; being ranked joint-fifth for goals scored via this route. Scoring just over 26% of their league goals from set pieces is significant.
Therefore, they need to make sure they get a few corners, and they will likely really attack the wide areas anyway considering Coventry play with three centre backs and the central areas will be somewhat congested. Coventry have conceded five or more corners in seven of their last 13 in all competitions and they will come under spells of big pressure at times given it is ultimately a Championship team away at a Premier League club.
Half Time Draw
The fact of the matter is that this is a big game for both Wolves and Coventry. For all that Wolves are the Premier League team in this match-up, they aren’t used to playing in big knockout cup competitions in the latter stages and there is bound to be some nerves from them. Their injury problems are well-documented and all the expectancy is on them to win at home to a side playing in the league below.
Coventry will also look to ease themselves into the game and won’t necessarily come out swinging from the very off. Also, of the last 20 FA Cup quarter-final ties, exactly 50% have been level at halftime, with the majority of those that weren’t were either huge mismatches or uncharacteristic high scores. These are pressure games and neither club are hugely used to these kinds of occasions.
BET BUILDER
Pablo Sarabia to be Fouled 1 or more Times
Rayan Ait-Nouri to have 1 or more Shots On Target
Wolves Goalkeeper to make 2 or more Saves
Over 4.5 Wolves Corners
Half Time Draw
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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