It is an important week for four Premier League teams this week as not only do they face a crucial match in that competition at the weekend, but they also face the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal ties, which are to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The first tie will take place at Old Trafford and features the two big Manchester clubs as Manchester United take on their great rivals Manchester City. A day later at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, Brendan Rodgers Leicester City will face Midlands rivals Aston Villa in what should be an equally entertaining game. All four of the teams in the semifinals have won the trophy previously with Manchester City winning it four times in the past six seasons, Manchester United last won it just a couple of years back in 2017, while Leicester’s last victory was in 2000. Aston Villa’s last win in the tournament came four years before that in 1996 when they defeated Leeds 3-0 in the final. If you fancy having a flutter on the Carabao Cup semi finals this week, then there is no better way to sign up with a quality online sportsbook than by using the current bet365 New Customer Bonus. New customers can enjoy all the benefits of that great starter offer, combined with Live Streaming of thousands of sports events, plus exciting pre-match and In Play betting on a massive range of sports at bet365. Remember too, you don’t have to be based solely in the UK to enjoy this week’s action in the Carabao Cup. Indiana citizens for example can enjoy a wide range of bets on a number of sports thanks to the latest offers available on www.hoosierstatesportsbooks.com. Use the latest BetRivers Affiliate Code “HOOSIERBONUS” to see the advantage of just one of the great deals available on the sites. Let’s now take a look at the first legs of the two Carabao Cup semifinals that will take place this week, with the second legs of these games scheduled to take place three weeks later on the 28^th and 29^th January respectively.

Carabao Cup Semifinals 1^st Leg

Tuesday 7^th January

Manchester United v Manchester City (8pm)

Road to the Final

Man Utd

• 3^rd Round – v Rochdale (H) – D 1-1 (W 5-3 on penalties) – Greenwood 68
• 4^th Round – v Chelsea (A) – W 2-1 – Rashford 25 (pen),73
• Quarterfinals – v Colchester (H) – W 3-0 – Rashford 51, Jackson OG 55, Martial 61

Man City

• 3^rd Round – v Preston (A) – W 3-0 – Sterling 19, Jesus 35, Ledson OG 42
• 4^th Round – v Southampton (H) – W 3-1 – Otamendi 20, Aguero 38,56
• Quarterfinals – v Oxford Utd (A) – W 3-1 – Cancelo 22, Sterling 50,70

The second leg of this game will be played Wednesday 29^th January at 7.45pm

Team News

I can see both these teams picking pretty much full-strength teams for the first leg. Both will realise that this competition, along with the FA Cup, may offer them their best chance of domestic silverware this season, given the lead that Liverpool hold in the Premier League and with City holding both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophies, it is fair to say that they would like to maintain their grip on them United though did beat City at the Etihad in the Premier League a short time ago and that defeat will still rankle with City. The problem for United is, I don’t think they can play on the counter at home against their city rivals here and that I think plays more into City’s hands in the first leg. I think both sides will play their reserve keepers (Romero for United, Bravo for Man City) but other than that and perhaps a couple of youngsters who have all been in or about the first team this season, I can see both managers picking strong sides. As such, that makes this a very intriguing semi-final and one that I feel won’t be settled, regardless of the score, until the very end of the second leg in three weeks’ time.

Top Tips

• Man Utd v Man City – Draw – 7/2
• Both Teams to Score – Yes – 7/10
• Draw and Both Teams to Score – 9/2
• Anytime Goalscorer – Marcus Rashford (Man Utd) – 21/10.

Wednesday 8^th January

Leicester City v Aston Villa (8pm)

Road to the Final

Leicester City

• 2^nd Round – v Newcastle Utd (A) – D 1-1 (W 4-2 on pens) – Maddison 34
• 3^rd Round – v Luton Town (A) – W 4-0 – Gray 34, Justin 44, Tielemans 79, Iheanacho 86
• 4^th Round – v Burton Albion (A) – W 3-1 – Iheanacho 7, Tielemans 20, Maddison 89
• Quarterfinals – v Everton (A) – D 2-2 (W 4-2 on pens) – Maddison 26, Evans 29

Aston Villa

• 2^nd Round – v Crewe Alexandra (A) – W 6-1 – Konsa 4, Hourihane 24,45, Davis 69, Guilbert 76, Grealish 87
• 3^rd Round – v Brighton (A) – W 3-1 – Jota 22, Hourihane 33, Grealish 77
• 4^th Round – v Wolves (H) – W 2-1 – El Ghazi 28, Elmohamady 57
• Quarterfinals – v Liverpool (H) – W 5-0 – Hourihane 14, Boyes OG 17, Kodjia 37,45, Wesley 90

The second leg of this game will be played on Tuesday 28^th January at 7.45pm

Team News

It’s fair to say that Leicester City have not had the easiest trip to the semifinals with four away ties in this competition so far, including two against Premier League opponents. Villa have bettered three Premier league opponents so far, but have played two of those at home, but even so, their progress has been excellent, even if the Liverpool team they faced in the quarterfinals was hugely weakened by the Reds participation in the World Club Championship at the same time. With silverware a rarity for both these teams, I think both will pick very strong teams for this game perhaps with just one or two changes to their regular EPL line up. Injuries have hit Villa hard though in recent weeks with Wesley, Tom Heaten and John McGinn all key absentees through injury. That factor, combined with Leicester’s generally excellent form at the moment means that I am leaning strongly towards Leicester taking a healthy lead from the first leg into the second leg at Villa Park, especially if they decide to play Jamie Vardy in this game, as they did in the last round at Everton. He and James Maddison will be the difference makers in this tie I feel.

Top Tips

• Leicester City v Aston Villa – Leicester to win – 4/11.
• Both Teams to Score – No – 19/20
• Leicester to win and Both Teams to Score – No – 11/8
• Anytime Goalscorer – James Maddison (Leicester) – 13/10.

*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of 12.15pm on Monday 6^th January 2020.