Manchester City vs Leeds United Betting 17/02/13

• February 14, 2013
• Kelv Morgan

The FA Cup 5 th round kicks off this weekend with a place in the quarter finals at stake. Premier League champions Manchester City welcome Leeds United to the Etihad Stadium in what could be a interesting encounter.

City are in the 5 th round by beating Watford 2-0 in the third round before winning at the Britannia 1-0 against Stoke City.

Leeds, currently mid-table in the Championship, took down Birmingham in a third round replay and then taking down Tottenham Hotspur at home.

Many feel that City lost their league title last weekend after losing against Southampton. Mancini has planned to make a lot of changes after the frustration of falling 12 points behind league leaders Manchester United.

Roberto Mancini's job security has apparently worsened in recent months due to failing to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League and falling behind in the league. However the owners have shown loyalty towards Mancini in the past and a FA Cup trophy this season may just be able to keep Mancini in a job.

With the international break and the weekend disappointment could see Carlos Tevez return to the starting eleven as well as club captain Vincent Kompany. Kolo Toure and Matija Nastasic are a doubt and Yaya Toure may still be rested after returning from the African Cup of Nations.

As the underdogs Leeds United will be treating this as a cup final. Neil Warnock's side lost 1-0 away at Middlesbrough but an away trip to the Premier League champions will provide great motivation if any of the players lack it.

Luciano Becchio was Leeds' top goal scorer with 19 goals however his departure has meant that El-Hadji Diouf and Ross McCormack are top of the table with 6 a piece.

In the Championship you can climb up and fall down the table extremely quickly. For Leeds, the cup may be a bad distraction; however for City it could save Mancini's job and give the team a trophy for the season.

Score Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Leeds United

Recommended Bets

Leeds half, City full, 20/1 on Bet365 ,

Carlos Tevez to score first, 7/2 on SkyBet ,

Manchester City to win 2-1, 8/1 on BetFred .

• Kelv Morgan Currently studying journalism at the University of Lincoln, Kelvin is a Chelsea FC fan and a fair weather golfer. Kelvin has been writing for Free Bet Finder since October 2012 and focuses on the Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League. Follow me