The first leg of the semi-final of the English League Cup between Newcastle United and Manchester City will take place on 13 january at St James' Park. Newcastle United vs Manchester City: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United barely reached the semi-final. In the previous round the team only managed to overcome Fulham thanks to a stoppage-time goal (2:1). Before that, the team beat another Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur (2:0). Thus, Newcastle United's winning run in the English League Cup has reached nine matches. This club won the trophy in this competition last season, and it is worth adding that over the past four years the team has reached the semi-final for the third time.
- The club's unbeaten streak in this competition in regulation time already stands at 13 matches – 11 wins and 2 draws.
- Newcastle United scored at least two goals in eight previous English League Cup matches.
- At home in this competition the team has a sequence of 11 wins.
Potential Newcastle United Lineup (4-3-3)*
Aaron Ramsdale – Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar, Valentino Livramento, Malik Tiaw – Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock, Jacob Ramsey – Joao Vissa, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy.
Forwards William Osula, defenders Dan Burn and Emil Krafth will miss the match due to injuries. Midfielder Anthony Elanga and defender Jamal Lascelles are doubtful after their injuries.
Manchester City
Like their opponents, Manchester City beat all three previous rivals in the competition without requiring extra time. However, those opponents were noticeably easier, and the club faced a Premier League representative only in the previous stage, when they beat Brentford at home 2:0. Reaching the semi-final is the best result for Manchester City in this competition over the last five editions. Also, starting from the 2017/18 season the club won the English League Cup four times in a row.
- The team conceded in 6 of the previous 8 matches in this competition.
- No more than three goals were scored in 6 of Manchester City's last 7 English League Cup matches.
- The club did not score more than two goals in 6 of the 7 previous matches in this competition.
Potential Manchester City Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
James Trafford – Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake, Nico O'Reilly – Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders – Oscar Bobb, Rayan Cherki, Savinho – Divin Mukasa.
Defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, as well as midfielders Oscar Bobb and Mateo Kovacic are unavailable due to injuries. Forward Omar Marmoush remains with his national team. Midfielder Savinho may miss the match due to an injury. Also noted is the transfer of forward Antoine Semenyo, who moved from Bournemouth.
Referee
Chris Kavanagh (England)
Matches – 6 (the FA Cup and the English League Cup, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow/red cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 0;
Fouls per match on average – 23;
Penalties – 50%.
Newcastle United vs Manchester City: Match Prediction
Newcastle United are one of the most successful clubs in this competition in recent years. The team has consistently reached the latter stages (four consecutive quarter-final appearances), which led to winning the trophy last season. On their way to that title, Newcastle United beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. We believe that this year the team will make every effort to win, especially since it is unlikely to achieve anything significant in the Premier League.
At home in the English League Cup Newcastle United have not lost in 19 consecutive matches (15 wins and 4 draws). It is highly likely that at least a draw will be achieved this time as well. Moreover, Manchester City have major problems with injured players, especially in defense.
Considering the hosts' attacking potential, it will be extremely difficult for Manchester City even to secure a draw. By the way, in the three previous Premier League matches Manchester City did not win a single game largely due to the loss of many players. It should also be noted that earlier this season Newcastle United defeated Manchester City at home 2:1.
Prediction: Newcastle United Win Or Draw
* For each team, the starting lineup shown is from its previous match in this competition.
