The first legs of the 2023 EFL Cup semi-finals are set to take place this midweek, with Southampton taking on high-flying Newcastle United and newly promoted Nottingham Forest facing Manchester United.
The two Uniteds – Newcastle and Manchester – are the undisputed favourites to win these two first-leg matches despite being away from home, but can the Saints and Tricky Trees spring a surprise?
Read on below as SBOTOP previews both semi-final first legs in great detail.
Southampton vs Newcastle United
It’s been a while since Newcastle have reached this stage of the EFL Cup. This is their first semi-final appearance since the 1975-76 season, as Eddie Howe has continued to work his magic on the Magpies.
As for Saints, they were EFL Cup semi-finalists fairly recently as they reached the final back in 2017, losing 3-2 to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
The EFL Cup 2023 betting odds will have Newcastle as heavy favourites in the first leg, but the Magpies’ form heading into this much-awaited semi-final has not been amazing. While their unbeaten run in the Premier League remains intact at 15 games, they were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace on the weekend, their third goalless draw in four games.
Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes shook off an injury to start the match as Howe started a full-strength side, and it seems unlikely he will make many – if any – changes against Southampton.
Saints, though, are still slumping. They lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa, which leaves them stranded at the bottom of the Premier League.
Nathan Jones just does not have the same depth and quality of squad at his disposal that Eddie Howe has at Newcastle, so he will have to stick with pretty much the same starting XI that he has been fielding since taking over.
Jones continues to have a major issue of finding enough goals; Saints are tied for the fourth-lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 17 goals. And they will have quite a challenge on their hands against Newcastle Premier League-leading defence that has kept six consecutive clean sheets.
Southampton managed to score against Newcastle in their first meeting of the season back in November. However, it was a mere consolation goal as the Magpies ran out 4-1 winners.
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United
Manchester United find themselves in the EFL Cup semi-final for the third time in four seasons after a fairly straightforward run, with three comfortable home wins against Aston Villa (4-2), Burnley (2-0), and Charlton (3-0).
The resurgent Marcus Rashford has created the majority of EFL Cup 2023 highlights with four goals in three games.
The Red Devils have not reached the final since winning the competition in 2017. They were knocked out by city rivals Manchester City in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021.
But they have a great opportunity to return to the final as they take on Nottingham Forest. Ahead of their big game against Premier League leaders Arsenal, United have gone on a 10-game unbeaten run. Their nine-game winning streak was snapped after Crystal Palace snatched a late 1-1 draw.
United coach Erik ten Hag is likely to make a few changes to his side after what is expected to be a tough matchup against the Gunners. Casemiro, who will be suspended for the Arsenal match, could return in midfield.
Although, new striker Wout Weghorst and right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka may continue to start with Anthony Martial and Diogo Dalot still injured.
United will take on Nottingham Forest in a rematch of the 1992 EFL Cup final, which the Red Devils won 1-0. That was the last time the Tricky Trees have reached the semi-final stage; they hadn’t even gotten past the fourth round since 1994.
And after gaining promotion back to the Premier League, Steve Cooper’s side are enjoying their best stretch of form of the season to date. They have lost just one of their last seven league matches, with three wins and three draws as they sit in 13th, four points clear of the relegation zone.
That fine run has come even amid a rash of injuries to key players such as centre-back Willy Boly, striker Taiwo Awoniyi, and former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
Lingard is not expected to face his old club due to a hamstring injury, so Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White will likely lead the attack. The two youngsters have been in terrific form of late with two goals and three assists between them in the last two games.
But goalkeeper Dean Henderson will once again miss out as he is on loan from Manchester United. With Henderson out, Nottingham Forest lost 3-0 in their first meeting with the Red Devils this season.
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