Seeking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, EFL Cup holders Newcastle United travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in an intriguing second-leg showdown on Wednesday night. The victors will face either Arsenal or Chelsea in the final.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Manchester City: A recent dip with two wins, one draw, and two losses in their last five matches (W2 D1 L2).
🔸 Newcastle United: One win, two draws, and two losses in their last five outings (W1 D2 L2).
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Manchester City won the first leg 2-0 at St. James' Park.
🔥 Manchester City have won each of their last 11 home encounters with Newcastle.
🔥 Newcastle's only win at the Etihad in the last 22 years came in the EFL Cup in October 2014.
🔥 Newcastle have lost 17 of their last 18 visits to Manchester City.
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams 🔥
🔵Manchester City | EFL Cup Form: W🟢L🔴W🟢L🔴D🟡
Pep Guardiola's side is in the driving seat but must respond after throwing away a two-goal lead to draw with Tottenham. Their second-half performances are a growing concern. They have won 14 of 18 home games this season.
⚫Newcastle United |EFL Cup Form: L🔴W🟢D🟡L🔴D🟡
The Magpies are "still in their fighting" according to Eddie Howe. They aim to become just the second side to overturn a 2+ goal first-leg deficit in this competition's history. They have only won three of their 16 away matches this season.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
🔵Manchester City (possible): Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Cherki, Bernardo; Semenyo, Haaland.
⚫Newcastle United (possible): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Ramsey; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Rayan Cherki — Scored in the first leg and could become the first Man City player to score in four consecutive EFL Cup appearances since Yaya Toure.
✨ Antoine Semenyo — Scored in the first leg against Spurs. A key January signing.
✨ Bruno Guimaraes — Newcastle's star midfielder is a doubt with an ankle problem. His presence is crucial.
✨ Erling Haaland — Scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 Premier League win against Newcastle last season.
💵 Odds Market 💵
💵 Man City/Home to win = 1.82
💵 Newcastle/Away to win = 4.23
💵 Both teams to score (Yes) = 1.58
💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.59
This clash pits a dominant City side at home against a holder fighting for its legacy. The Etihad is set for a tense cup night.
Who do you think will reach Wembley? Tell us your prediction.
🔗 You can follow the Manchester City vs Newcastle United game here on MSport.
#ManCity #NewcastleUnited #EFLCup #CarabaoCup #Guardiola #Howe #EtihadStadium #Semenyo #Cherki #Haaland #Gordon #Wembley
The last time Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid faced off in La Liga, the game ended with a goalless draw. This time, a high-flying Real Madrid side hosts them again, only this time, to face a Rayo Vallecano side battling near the relegation zone.
It's La Liga action on Sunday, February 1, 2026, as Rayo Vallecano travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to face a Real Madrid side in excellent league form. Los Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa will be aiming to continue his team's perfect recent run.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Rayo Vallecano: In 16th place with 22 points from 21 matches.
🔸 Real Madrid: Second in the La Liga table, one point behind leaders Barcelona.
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Real Madrid are on a five-match winning run in La Liga.
🔥 Real Madrid have won 33 of the previous 47 meetings between the two sides.
🔥 Rayo Vallecano have lost seven of their 11 away league matches this season.
🔥 While Real Madrid leads the H2H battle decisively, Rayo's last result at Bernabeu was a goalless draw in 2023.
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams 🔥
🔴Rayo Vallecano | Form: D🟡L🔴D🟡W🟢L🔴L🔴:
Despite being just one point above the relegation zone, Inigo Perez's side can take heart from holding Real Madrid to a draw in their last visit.
However, they have lost their last two matches, and with their away form a major concern, they will have to produce a resilient performance soon before their situation becomes more precarious.
⚪Real Madrid | Form: L🔴W🟢W🟢W🟢W🟢W🟢:
Alvaro Arbeloa's side will look to bounce back from a 4-2 Champions League defeat to Benfica by switching focus to their strong league campaign.
They boast formidable recent La Liga form and will look to continue that against a Rayo side that will be fighting for their lives and have memories of a stalemate at the same ground in mind.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
⚪Real Madrid (possible):
Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinicius.
🔴Rayo Vallecano (possible):
Batalla, Balliu, Lejeune, Ciss, Chavarria, Palazon, Valentin, Diaz, Akhomach, De Frutos, A Garcia.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Kylian Mbappe — Will lead the line for Real Madrid, looking to add to his goal tally.
✨ Vini Jr — Will be looking to get back to his best for the hosts.
✨ Alvaro Garcia — The team's leading scorer with 10 goals, he will be Rayo's main threat.
✨ Jude Bellingham — Expected to pull the strings in attack for Los Blancos.
💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵
💵 Real Madrid/Home to win = 1.28
💵 Rayo Vallecano/Away to win = 10.72
💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 1.91
💵 Over 2.5 total goals = 1.48
This clash presents a classic clash of momentum: a confident Real Madrid side with a superb winning run faces a Rayo team desperate for points to escape danger.
With history offering a sliver of hope for the visitors, the Santiago Bernabeu is set for a compelling La Liga night.
Who do you think will take the points? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
🔗 You can follow the Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano game here on MSport.
#RealMadrid #RayoVallecano #LaLiga #Arbeloa #InigoPerez #SantiagoBernabeu #Mbappe #Bellingham #Vinicius #AlvaroGarcia #Camavinga #Rodrygo