Manchester City take on the visitors Newcastle in the second leg of English Football League Cup. First leg result: 2-0. The match will be played on Wednesday, February 4th at Etihad Stadium (Manchester).
Manchester City enjoyed a brilliant period under Guardiola, transforming from one of several contenders into the undisputed leader of English football and even winning the Champions League. Then came last season, when even record signings from the year before resulted only in a third-place finish in the Premier League with zero trophies, highlighted by a defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. Yes, Manchester City have been relatively solid in the Champions League this season, finishing in the top eight and earning the right to skip the first play-off round. There will be other chances as well, including in domestic cups. However, there have been plenty of slip-ups in the Premier League, especially around the turn of December and January. Another example was the 2–2 draw with Tottenham. As a result, the League Cup now looks like their most realistic shot at silverware. Recent results show that City are struggling to maintain their usual dominance week after week. Even so, their experience in decisive matches remains a major advantage.
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Newcastle are trying to improve, but not everything is working. The Magpies have become a serious force under Howe, and this was especially evident last season. A year ago, they won the League Cup, ending a long trophy drought. They then added success in the race with Aston Villa for fifth place in the Premier League. That achievement allowed them to return to the Champions League, where the English side looked quite competitive. In the end, they managed to reach the play-offs, although their campaign there only begins in February. Domestically, after a poor start, they found ways to improve and almost caught up with the contenders for European places, especially since mistakes have been common outside the top three. However, their most recent matches have been outright disappointing, with a 0–2 loss to Aston Villa and a heavy 1–4 defeat to Liverpool. These results underline a clear dip in form at a crucial stage of the season. Confidence appears shaken, which makes recovery against elite opponents more difficult.
In November, the Magpies, who had collected just one point in four previous head-to-head matches, defeated the Citizens in the Premier League. However, in the first semi-final they later lost 0–2. The Citizens are far from their peak form, but the visitors are currently in a clear downturn and are unlikely to believe in a comeback after a 0–2 deficit. We are backing another win for Manchester City.
Prediction for the match: Manchester City to win.
