City
- Man City will be in the Carabao Cup Final again if they can beat a Newcastle side that are trying to retain their title when these two face off in the second-leg of their semi-final at the Etihad on Wednesday.
- The hosts are 2nd in the PL with 46 points and a +26 goal differential, which tells you all you need to know about their dominance over most teams in England.
- Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to progress given their 2 - 0 aggregate lead, home advantage and superior depth, but the visitors will make them work for it.
Newcastle
- Newcastle have looked good in patches this season and their current 10th place and +3 goal differential in the Premier League indicates a slightly more inconsistent campaign.
- Newcastle’s style of play is unique as they press aggressively out of possession and make vertical transitions with their 4-3-3, which can be explosive.
- Bruno Guimarães dictates their tempo with some superb passes and set pieces and they have a dangerous counter-attacking player in Harvey Barnes, who scored twice against City in the league earlier this season.
Head-to-Head
The hosts have dominated the H2H record in recent years, although Newcastle have had their moments.
Key Players
- Erling Haaland continues to lead the scoring in the PL and is City’s biggest threat.
- Rayan Cherki is in scintillating form for the champions, contributing goals and assists and scoring late in the first-leg.
- New signing Antoine Semenyo has also made an immediate impact, providing some directness to Guardiola’s attack.
- Bruno Guimarães dictates their tempo with some superb passes and set pieces and they have a dangerous counter-attacking player in Harvey Barnes, who scored twice against City in the league earlier this season.
Betting Insights
- City are clear favourites at 1.81 to win the game with the Magpies available at 3.75 and the draw at 4.0, which looks about right as Newcastle are in danger of being eliminated on the night.
- Both Teams To Score looks the best bet at 1.6 given the quality of attacking players on show.
- Backing Newcastle to score is definitely advised given their ability to counter-attack and the threat of Barnes and Guimaraes.
- VAR drama and late goals have been a theme in this fixture in recent times and we can expect another nail-biter on Wednesday.
Prediction
Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to progress given their 2 - 0 aggregate lead , home advantage and superior depth, but the visitors will make them work for it.
