English Football
Carabao Cup
The EFL Cup, currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men’s domestic football in England. Who takes this seasons first Silverware.
Manchester United vs Newcastle United, 4.30pm GMT
The inaugural piece of domestic silverware is up for grabs at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Manchester United and Newcastle United lock horns with the chance to end their respective silverware-less streaks.
The Red Devils thumped Nottingham Forest 5-0 on aggregate to book their tickets to the showpiece event, while Eddie Howe’s rising stars defeated Southampton 3-1 over two legs in the semi-finals.
Erik ten Hag still has a long journey ahead of him to restore Man United’s former glories, but beating Barcelona and winning a trophy within the space of a few days would be a monumental step in the right direction for the much-admired Dutchman.
An eight-game losing run at Wembley has haunted the Magpies since their 1955 FA Cup triumph, their most recent domestic cup success and Man United’s 2-0 win over Newcastle in the 1999 FA Cup final formed part of their historic treble that year. Victory on Sunday could very well spark a similar haul of success for the coming months, but Newcastle have more than earned their right to compete at Wembley as Howe aims to become the first English coach to win the cup since 2003-04, when now-Man United assistant Steve McClaren took Middlesbrough all the way.
As well as the 1999 loss to the Red Devils in the FA Cup final Newcastle have not faired well against there opponent in the premier league, will this final come a little to soon for Newcastle’s rebuild? We don’t doubt a big Magpies future but maybe its still a bit early.
Our Picks:
Man United win @23/20
Man Utd win and both teams to score @7/2
Manchester United predicted starting 11:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford
Newcastle United predicted starting 11:
Karius; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin
Newcastle are not the same defensive force that they were only a few weeks ago, and Man United will need no second invitation to test the gloves of the out-of-practice Karius, but the importance of Guimaraes’s return to the base of midfield cannot be overstated.
A possible injury to Rashford and fatigue from Thursday night will also work against the Red Devils, who are not impenetrable at the back either and may be forced to endure a gruelling 120 minutes of action, but Newcastle’s recent lack of attacking incisiveness could prove decisive as Man United take another step towards a dazzling quadruple.
Best Football Betting Picks and Predictions, Image Credit: skysports.com
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