Buriram United vs Prachuap - FA Cup

Few would have predicted the narrative arc that brings Buriram United and Prachuap together at the home ground on May 31, 2026, and the underdog storyline only adds to the FA Cup occasion. Maresca needs the qualitative depth to meet the demands of a season across 60-plus games.

The two sides arrive with plenty to prove, and the FA Cup contest at the home ground offers a chance to lay down a marker. The hosts will be looking to find their rhythm and put a run of results together. The visitors will travel in the hope that a change of scene can spark a turnaround, whatever the form book says. The Ghana winger, signed on loan from Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise on transfer deadline day, drilled in an angled shot on the run, via the inside of the far post, for his first Derby goal.

Set-piece efficiency and transition play often decide fixtures of this nature, and both managers will have been drilling those phases on the training ground. His passing display at the World Cup was yet more evidence of his suitability for City and the possession-heavy style Maresca favours.

Star players on both sides will be eager to make their mark, and the individual duels across the pitch could go a long way to deciding the outcome. Discipline at the back and sharpness in front of goal will likely tilt the balance one way or the other. Spurs may have leaked Arsenal links to defender to ease sale to Atletico Madrid.

Without the market to lean on, the contest feels genuinely open — and the outcome may come down to which side handles the occasion better. A share of the spoils looks the most probable outcome, with neither side holding a decisive edge — a 1-1 draw feels like a fitting result. The result at the home ground could resonate well beyond matchday in the FA Cup picture. A more central role appears likely given the sale of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United and the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Amadou Onana at the World Cup.