Six changes for City - Marmoush starts | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola makes six changes to his City starting XI for this evening's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle.

Returning to the side are James Trafford, Nathan Ake, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Nico and Marmoush.

Making way are Erling Haaland, Rodri, Rayan Cherki, Marc Guéhi and Gianluigi Donnarumma who are on a strong-looking bench.

Bernardo is ruled out with injury, while Ruben Dias makes a welcome return to the bench, along with Sverre Nypan who returned from Middlesbrough this week.

Ake takes the captain’s armband.

Line-ups

CITY XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Ake (C), Ait-Nouri, Nico, Reijnders, O’Reilly, Semenyo, Foden, Marmoush

Subs: Donnarumma, Dias, Haaland, Cherki, Rodri, Nypan, McAidoo, Alleyne, Lewis

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Ramsdale, Trippier (C), Hall, Botman, Tonali, Gordon, Thiaw, Woltemade, Willock, Burn, Ramsey.

Subs: Pope, Wissa, Barnes, Osula, Elanga, J Murphy, A Murphy, Shahar, Neave.

Formation/Tactics

James Trafford resumes in goal as he looks to help secure what would be his first major cup final.

With Marc Guéhi unavailable this evening, Abdukodir Khusanov will be partnered by Nathan Ake.

Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri will be our full-backs this evening with a mandate to attack and occasionally push across into midfield.

Our central trio are Nico, Nico O’Reilly and Reijnders.

Up front, Marmoush will have Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo on either flank.

The Blues’ back line will have to be wary of set-pieces with Newcastle having Dan Bun back in their starting XI along with Nick Woltemade.

Opposition corners will need to be kept to a minimum.

One foot in the final - or half-time?

Any team taking a two-goal lead into a home second leg would be considered strong favourites to complete the job.

That is, of course, the scenario City have this evening against the current Carabao Cup holders.

Newcastle have nothing to lose in this tie as they face a mountainous task on paper. but they will believe.

The first goal will be crucial - if City score it, it’s hard to see the Magpies coming back and winning.

If Eddie Howe’s team score first, this could be a very nervy encounter for the Blues.

It’s not in Pep Guardiola’s nature to sit back and protect a first leg lead, so expect an open, attacking game.

One thing is for sure - the City players won’t be thinking about Wembley until both feet - not just one - are actually in the final.

Until then, this game is only at half-time in relative terms.

Stats & Milestones

City are looking to reach their 10th EFL Cup final. They would be the fourth team to do so after Liverpool (15), Chelsea (10, before this season) and Manchester United (10).

Newcastle are looking to become just the second team to overturn a 2+ goal deficit from the first leg to reach the EFL Cup final after Aston Villa against Tranmere in 1993-94 (1-3 away, 3-1 home, won on penalties).

City have won 17 of their last 18 home games against Newcastle in all competitions, including each of the last 11 in a row since a 2-0 loss in the EFL Cup fourth round in 2014-15.

Last season’s winners Newcastle are looking to avoid becoming just the third EFL Cup holders to be eliminated at the semi-final stage, after Tottenham in 1971-72 and Blackburn in 2002-03.

City have won 10 of their last 11 home games in the EFL Cup, with the exception being a 1-0 semi-final second leg loss to Manchester United in 2019-20 having won the first leg by two goals.

Newcastle’s first leg defeat to City was the first time they’d been behind in an EFL Cup match since the 2023 final against Manchester United. The Magpies last lost consecutive games in the competition in August 2017/August 2018, both against Nottingham Forest.

Rayan Cherki has scored in all three of his EFL Cup games so far. The last City player to score in four consecutive appearances in the competition was Yaya Touré, which were also his first four between September 2013 and September 2014.

Despite playing fewer than half the minutes available this season (144/360), no Newcastle player has created more chances in the EFL Cup this season than Anthony Gordon (6), while only Bruno Guimarães (11) and Joelinton (9) have had more shots (6).

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