As we head in to December and temperatures drop, competitions are really starting to heat up. We have the final round of European games on the horizon, and a tough festive period for Premier League clubs coming up. But, before those season defining games come around, the Capital One Cup is also getting pretty serious this week, as we reach the quarter final stage.
While it’s not the biggest silverware of the season, it is the first up for grabs. A win in the League Cup final at Wembley in February can push a side on in the final few months of the season. The last two winners of this trophy went on to win the Premier League title, so it can’t be that unimportant. Here we have previews for all four of the cup clashes this midweek, with a betting tip for each.
Tuesday 1st December 2015
Manchester City v Hull (19:45) – Both teams to score (11/10 with Coral)
Unsurprisingly, Manchester City are favourites to lift this trophy after winning it back in 2014. They were going great on all fronts, until a dodgy week left them reeling. First they were hammered 4-1 at home to Liverpool, another contender for this cup, and then they lost in the Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini is on the hunt for silverware, and he’ll know that this competition is a great way to get it, especially given their opposition in the final few rounds. Could his team get back to winning ways in this one, and progress to the semis?
Standing in City’s way right now are an in-form Hull, who top the Championship after putting together a 13 game unbeaten run. They look on course to make a quick return to the top flight, but do they have any chance here? City are likely to name a strong side, so the Tigers will be coming up against the best. Their one boost here, however, is the Citizens’ poor defensive record. Not only did they concede four in their last home game, but they’ve conceded in their last eight at the Etihad. We can see a confident Hull side getting themselves a goal here, so we’re backing both teams to score in this one at very nice odds.
Middlesbrough v Everton (19:45) – Everton to win (13/10 with Coral)
Another Championship side doing well is Middlesbrough, who are third in the second tier, and looking to bounce back after their defeat in the play-off final last season. With an eight game unbeaten record at home, they’re going to be a tough test for Everton. While Boro won’t be putting the League Cup as top priority, they’ll relish testing themselves against top flight opposition after missing out on promotion. But, can they cause a big upset here and make it into the semi finals?
Everton are one of the dark horses in this competition, given that they’ve stayed mostly under the radar in their run so far. They’ve hit a good run of form in the league, lifting them up to seventh position, and a push for Europe could be on the cards. Despite that, Roberto Martinez will be desperate to bring some silverware back to Goodison, and they have a chance of doing that in this competition. They’re the second highest placed side left in, and we expect them to progress to the semis with a win at the Riverside.
Stoke v Sheffield Wednesday (19:45) – Both teams to score (19/20 with Betfair)
Sheffield Wednesday have been one of the great stories of the cup this season, knocking out Newcastle at St James’ before thumping Arsenal. That’s given them a trip to Stoke in the quarter finals, arguably their toughest test yet. The side from the Britannia are one of the in-form teams in the top flight, and they’ll be eying up a spot in the last four. Can the Owls pull off another fantastic win to take themselves into the semis, or will their brilliant cup run be brought to an end by Mark Hughes and his team?
Well, Stoke’s recent form points towards an easy home win against lower league opposition, but we’ve seen heroics from Wednesday which have defied the odds. They’ll certainly have a chance going forward, as this Stoke side hasn’t been great defensively this season. They’ve kept just one clean sheet all campaign, while Wednesday have shown that they can trouble Premier League defences. Stoke rarely tend to keep clean sheets in this competition, so we’re backing both teams to score here, at just below evens.
Wednesday 2nd December 2015
Southampton v Liverpool (19:45) – Liverpool to win (2/1 with Betfair)
A few weeks ago, a Liverpool win here would have been much bigger odds, and not many would have backed it. But, a recent upturn in form sees Liverpool flying ahead of this game, as Jurgen Klopp’s team are now full of confidence. Their 4-1 win at Manchester City last weekend was the crowning result for the German manager, who will be delighted with his team’s recent displays. They’ve moved on from the struggling outfit that Brendan Rodgers had, and right now they’re pushing for a top four place, along with doing well in both the Europa League, and potentially the League Cup.
Southampton are the team standing in the way of Klopp’s men, and they did recently pick up a point at Anfield. After a quarter final appearance last term, Ronald Koeman will want his team to go at least one better this time and make the last four. That being said, their recent home victories have all came against struggling teams, while they’ve failed to win against the likes of Stoke and Leicester. Given how well Liverpool are playing, we think they’ll be able to get the better of the Saints here, as Klopp goes hunting for a first trophy as Liverpool boss.