Middlesbrough vs. Manchester City: FA Cup 2017 Team News, Live Stream, TV Info

Manchester City travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday with their sights set on a first Wembley Stadium visit under Pep Guardiola, although it is the hosts' under-pressure manager Aitor Karanka who is most in need of a win.

The Citizens have not reached the final four of the FA Cup since 2013 and last lifted the trophy under Roberto Mancini in 2011. Guardiola has perhaps not settled into English football as quickly as many fans hoped, but winning a major trophy in his inaugural season at the club would present a very different story.

However, things are decidedly worse for Karanka. Middlesbrough are yet to win a league fixture in 2017 and appear to be in free fall. A 2-0 defeat to Stoke City last weekend, their third defeat in their last four league games, saw Boro drop into the relegation zone with just 11 games remaining. Karanka clearly still believes in his players, having taken to Twitter to praise their commitment:

For now, Karanka "retains the faith of chairman Steve Gibson," per Craig Hope for the Daily Mail, but his position looks precarious given Middlesbrough's poor form. Victory on Saturday would provide a huge boost for everyone at the club. The club haven't played an FA Cup game at Wembley since 1997, when Chelsea beat them 2-0.

Here are the full fixture details and TV information, followed by a match preview:

Date: Saturday, March 11

Time: 12:15 p.m. (GMT)/7:15 a.m. (ET)

TV Info: BT Sport 2, Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: BT Sport App, Fox Soccer 2Go

Preview

Man City's recent results have been as good as Middlesbrough's have been poor. Guardiola's side have lost just one match in 2017, a 4-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Jan. 15. Three consecutive league victories, along with a thrilling 5-3 win against AS Monaco in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, created a more optimistic atmosphere around the club, although City were held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke City on Wednesday. 

Despite their differing form, this will not be an easy game for the visitors. Boro have an excellent defensive record in the Premier League, their 30 goals conceded bettered only by Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, City and Manchester United. Karanka's cautious defensive football can be dull—they have only scored 19 league goals so far—but it can be effective.

Joel Ryan/Associated Press

Boro may have lost all three of their home games against top-six opposition this season—2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sept. 24, 1-0 to Chelsea on Nov. 20 and 3-0 against Liverpool on Dec. 14—but they managed to grind out a 1-1 draw at the Etihad in November that exemplified Karanka's diligent defensive coaching.

On a frustrating afternoon for the home side, Middlesbrough stood strong against some relentless attacking football before scoring a 91st-minute equaliser courtesy of Marten de Roon. Karanka called it an "amazing result," per Patrick Jennings for the BBC.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

City will, once again, have to work hard to find space in the final third despite almost certainly dominating possession throughout. Guardiola has no fresh injury concerns, making it likely that he will continue to play an attacking 4-5-1 formation.

Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, who have been hugging the touchline in recent weeks, will play an important role in prising that Middlesbrough defence apart.

Ultimately, Guardiola's team should have the quality—and the confidence—to cut through the Boro defence and heap further misery on Karanka.