
Newcastle hosts Man City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals. Both teams have enjoyed a good start to the league so far and will be looking to secure their place in the final.
Louie Truman has taken a look at the odds and has provided his best bet.
The Magpies won the EFL Cup last season with a 2-1 win in the final against Liverpool. Dan Burn opened the scoring before half-time, and Alexander Isak added a second in the second half, which secured a long-awaited trophy.
Newcastle are currently sixth in the table, just one point behind Brentford, who are in fifth place, which can secure Europa League football next season. Eddie Howe’s side has won their last three against Burnley and Crystal Palace. In their recent fixture, they managed a dramatic 4-3 home win against Leeds.
Man City have reached nine EFL Cup finals, only losing once, which was against Wolves in 1974. The Sky Blues are currently second in the league and will be aiming to close the six-point gap on league leaders Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s side will be disappointed with recent league performances; they’re without a win in their last three league games. However, City come into this fixture on the back of an impressive 10-1 win against Exeter in the FA Cup.
Manchester City and Newcastle have met each other approximately 195 times across all competitions. Recent meetings have been close; Man City have won three of their last five games. However, Newcastle managed to secure a 2-1 win at St James' Park in the recent game between the two sides; Harvey Barnes scored a brace.
Both sides will be looking to make a positive start in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final at St James' Park. Louie Truman has taken a look at the betting odds for this match and has put his best bet forward.
Newcastle have a great record in the EFL Cup; they won it last season and have been in excellent form recently, winning their last three Premier League games. They also beat Bournemouth on penalties last Saturday in the FA Cup.
Manchester City have fallen to Newcastle in their last two League Cup meetings, losing 2‑0 in 2014 and 1‑0 in September 2023. Manchester City have injuries to key defenders such as John Stones, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, so Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov are expected to start against Newcastle. Backing Newcastle at St James’ Park looks like great value considering their current form and record in the competition.
TIP: Newcastle Win/Draw at 7/10 with BetMGM

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