Prediction and odds for the game: Leicester (4/11) v Aston Villa (7/1)
We are backing the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 4/7.
When: Wednesday 08th January 2020, Kick-off 8 PM
Where: The King Power Stadium
On Wednesday night, Midlands rivals Leicester and Aston Villa go head-to-head at the King Power Stadium in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Leicester
The home side has been one of the teams of the season in the Premier League this season. The Foxes are currently second-place in the table and look to be heading for Champions League football next season. Despite their priority being securing a place in Europe’s elite competition for next season, the Foxes have not neglected this competition.
Boss Brendan Rodgers has slightly rotated his squad in previous rounds, although he has always named relatively strong starting line-ups. The home side recorded a victory over Everton at Goodison Park in the quarter-final, beating the Toffees on penalty kicks after the game finished 2-2 in normal time.
Leicester have been a difficult team to beat in the League Cup in 90 minutes, as they have not lost a League Cup game in normal time in 12 matches. Their only defeats came in penalty shootout defeats against Manchester City in the last two seasons.
The Foxes have won four of their last six League Cup games on home soil. Those two aforementioned penalty defeats against City were the blips in that recent run of home games in the competition.
Aston Villa
Similar to the hosts, the League Cup is not the visitor’s priority, as maintaining their top-flight status is the Villans biggest aim this season. Villa boss Dean Smith admitted after a 2-1 defeat against Championship Fulham in the FA Cup on Saturday that the league is their priority.
However, they are now at the semi-final stage, so the Villans are unlikely to take the competition lightly. The Carabao Cup has actually been the bright spot of the Villans campaign so far this season. Villa have seen off Crewe, Brighton, Wolves and a team of Liverpool youngsters in the last round. The last two wins have been at Villa Park.
Unlike in the Premier League, Smith’s team have been prolific in the League Cup, scoring at least two goals in each of their four games in the competition this season.
The Villans have a pretty good away record in the League Cup, winning four of their last five games in the competition. Their recent away games in the Carabao Cup have been high-scoring, with over 2.5 goals scored in ten of their last 12 away matches.
Conclusion
Leicester are likely to field a pretty strong team in this clash. The strength of team that Villa fields likely depends on the availability of players. We are backing the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 4/7, as both teams recent matches have been goal-filled. Our other recommendation is to back against both teams to score at odds of 19/20.
Verdict: Back the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 4/7 and/or back against both teams to score at 19/20. (All odds are taken from Bet365).
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Who will get the upper hand in this first leg tie?
