Who Will Reach the Carabao Cup Final?
All roads lead to Wembley this week with the second legs of the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Will we see Championship side Middlesbrough make it to the final?
Shock Finalists?
Not since 2013 has a side from outside the Premier League reached the final of the Carabao Cup. That was when League Two Bradford City lost to Swansea City. Now Middlesbrough are a game away from Wembley.
The Championship side come into this deciding game at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday January 23 with a 1-0 lead from the first leg. Boro have a goal by Hayden Hackney to thank for the narrow lead they take into this second leg. At bet365 It’s 10/1 they can win this match and 6/1 Boro get the draw that will see them reach the final.
Michael Carrick’s team are 11th in the Championship but only five points behind the final promotion play-off position. They are unbeaten in their last three games and have won four of their last five away fixtures.
Five matches had to be won by Middlesbrough to reach this semi-final. All were played on the road and against sides from outside the Premier League. They are 16/1 at BetVictor to lift the trophy.
It’s been an inconsistent season for big-spending Chelsea. Winning the Carabao Cup would be great news though and take them back into European football. William Hill has odds of 9/4 on Chelsea winning the Carabao Cup.
They are ninth in the Premier League but aside from the first leg loss have won four of their last five games. Chelsea have won four home ties in this season’s Carabao Cup, including victories over Brighton and Newcastle. Including a penalty shootout, they have won their last six home matches. It’s 1/4 at BetVictor they can beat Middlesbrough in 90 minutes.
Can Fulham Reach Wembley?
The second Carabao Cup semi-final takes place on Wednesday January 24. It’s an all Premier League clash as Fulham host Liverpool looking to claw back a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
Fulham nearly caused an upset at Anfield by taking a first half lead through Willian. The Londoners still led in the second half but in the 68th minute Jones equalised for the home side. Three minutes later, Gakpo scored to turn the tie around.
Liverpool held on for a 2-1 win and now travel to Craven Cottage for the second leg. They are 13th in the Premier League and only eight points above the relegation zone. It’s 12/1 at BetVictor that they can win the Carabao Cup for the first time.
Current form is not great for the Cottagers. They have lost their last two games and four of the last six. On their day they can be difficult to beat at home, just ask Arsenal who lost 2-1 to them over the festive period.
Five of their last six home games have been won but can they shock Liverpool? Fulham are 14/5 at WIlliam Hill to win this match.
How many trophies might Liverpool win this season? The Reds are five points clear at the top of the Premier League and also going well in the FA Cup and Europa League. The odds of them winning the Carabao Cup this season are 1/2 at bet365. That would make it ten times they’ve won this competition.
Now they head to West London to defend their 2-1 lead from the first leg. They may be missing Mo Salah at present but they were in impressive form at the weekend. Sunday saw them extend their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win at Bournemouth. The odds of them winning the Premier League are 5/2 at William Hill.
Liverpool have won their last five games in all competitions. They’ve scored at least twice in each of those games and it’s hard to see Fulham keeping them out and staying in the Carabao Cup. Three clean sheets have been kept in those five games, another big improvement for them. Liverpool are 8/11 to win this match and get to Wembley.
