The Decisive Clashes: Carabao Cup Semi-Final Second Legs

The 2023/24 EFL Cup has reached the semi-final stage, with only three games remaining after the conclusion of the first-leg matches last week.

In contrast to the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup exclusively includes clubs from the top four tiers of English football: the EPL, Championship, League One, and League Two.

As the reigning champions, Manchester United emerged victorious in last season's final against Newcastle. This win propelled them ahead of Aston Villa and Chelsea, solidifying their position as the third-most successful team in the EFL Cup's history with six victories. However, Newcastle terminated their cup defence this term while also eliminating Manchester City as well.

Also Read: Carabao Cup 2024: All the winners since 1961

Chelsea eliminated Newcastle, who are anticipating their first piece of silverware under Mauricio Pochettino. However, the Blues are now down in their EFL Cup semi-final, having been defeated 1-0 by Middlesbrough at the Riverside in the first leg.

In the other semi-final, Liverpool staged a comeback to defeat Fulham in the first leg, aiming to solidify their position as the most successful club in the history of the EFL Cup further.

Join us as we preview the second-leg fixtures, the current betting odds.

An Emerging Underdog Has Adjusted the EFL Cup Odds

Middlesbrough's chances of winning the Carabao Cup have improved, with their odds decreasing from 22/1 to 14/1, following their 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of the semi-final.

Last Tuesday night, Michael Carrick's team performed well, with Hayden Hackney scoring the sole goal. Chelsea was left to regret their inaccurate finishing, particularly in the instance of Cole Palmer, and their odds of winning the title are currently 9/4.

Liverpool, having overcome a goal behind, emerged as the 1/2 frontrunners by securing a 2-1 victory at Fulham with late goals from Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones.

Fulham's odds of winning the competition are 12/1. The Whites deserved recognition for their performance at Anfield when they held the lead in the closing minutes for the second time this season.

Marco Silva's team will require an impressive performance to reverse the situation, but they can still reach the championship finals for the first time.

EFL Cup 2023/24 Outright Odds

●        Liverpool @ 1/2

●        Chelsea @ 9/4

●        Fulham @  12/1

●        Middlesbrough @ 14/1

Middlesbrough, who won the League Cup twenty years ago, their sole major title to date, have odds of 14/1 to win the cup again with top betting sites available in Ireland. This comes following their 1-0 victory against Chelsea in the first leg of their semi-final match.

Liverpool is the frontrunner in securing their 10th trophy triumph, extending their current record. This comes following their 2-1 victory against Fulham at Anfield in the first leg of the other semi-final match.

Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final (Second Leg)

Having emerged victorious in the EFL Cup in 2022, Liverpool currently holds the record for the most triumphs in the competition, boasting nine championships, one more than Manchester City. Liverpool achieved their initial victory in the EFL Cup in 1981 and subsequently secured four consecutive wins, the joint-longest streak in the tournament's history.

Liverpool has achieved limited success in the 21st century, winning only three EFL Cup championships in 2003, 2012, and 2022. Nevertheless, they are only two victories shy of achieving their 10th championship. The Reds started their 2023/24 EFL Cup journey against Leicester, a team from the Championship. Subsequently, they triumphed against two Premier League adversaries, Bournemouth and West Ham. In the semi-final, they overcame a one-goal deficit against Fulham and secured a 2-1 advantage going into the second leg at Craven Cottage. The outcome will be another visit to Wembley to prevent failure and secure victory.

Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final (Second Leg)

In contrast to past seasons, Chelsea began participating in the EFL Cup in the second round, as they did not have any European football matches at Stamford Bridge this season. The Blues started their pursuit of a sixth championship with a challenging encounter against AFC Wimbledon, requiring a comeback to prevent the League Two team from prevailing.

Chelsea, runners-up in 2019 and 2022, have not been victorious in the EFL Cup since the 2014/15 season. Manchester City eliminated them in the third round in the previous season. They had performed well up to the semi-finals this season but now face the challenge of overcoming a deficit after losing the first leg of their semi-final versus Middlesbrough.

Fulham in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final (Second Leg)

Fulham is aiming to achieve their inaugural appearance in the EFL Cup final. Indeed, this is their most advanced stage in the EFL Cup, surpassing their previous record of occasionally reaching the quarter-finals. The most recent instance was in the 2004/05 season when they were defeated by the eventual champions, Chelsea.

In the second round, Fulham faced a challenging first match against Tottenham but emerged victorious over their London counterparts in a penalty shootout. Subsequently, they eliminated Championship teams Norwich and Ipswich and secured a triumph against Everton in the quarter-finals through a penalty shootout. Before the semi-finals, Fulham had odds of about 7/1 to win the EFL Cup. However, their odds have suddenly doubled after losing a previously held advantage against Liverpool.

Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final (Second Leg)

Middlesbrough has reached the finals of the EFL Cup three times. They were the runners-up in the 1996/97 and 1997/98 seasons but eventually won the cup in the 2003/04 season by defeating Bolton in Cardiff.

Boro has only managed to go to the quarter-final stage after that triumph on five occasions, including the current season. Therefore, regardless of the outcome, this will be seen as favourable. Boro has triumphed over Huddersfield, Bolton, Bradford, Exeter, and Port Vale consecutively, beginning from the initial round. Their inaugural Premier League adversaries were Chelsea.

To secure a spot in the fourth final, they need to prevent a loss in their next encounter, having already won over Chelsea with a score of 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. However, they are regarded as the least favourites to win the competition.