Manchester United vs Newcastle Carabao Cup Round of 16 Preview

The Carabao Cup, also known as the EFL Cup, is starting to heat up with just 16 clubs left in the competition and we’re blessed with some tantalizing fixtures at this stage. On Wednesday, Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from their deflating derby defeat to Man City over the weekend when they welcome Newcastle to Old Trafford, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. The kick-off is scheduled for 4:15 PM ET. The Magpies will also be hoping to get back on track after settling for a 2-2 draw at the weekend against Wolves, making it two games in a row without a win. Below, we’ll discuss the head-to-head history between these two sides and also preview the match, which should be an entertaining one.

United has upper hand

Man United certainly has the better record all-time against Newcastle and was enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run against the Magpies before a 2-0 loss in April in the Premier League. The Red Devils won versus Newcastle in this exact competition in late February in the showpiece behind first-half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford at Wembley Stadium. The Carabao Cup was their only trophy last term.

Red Devils can’t find consistency

It’s been a very up-and-down campaign for Erik ten Hag’s side, sitting in eighth spot in the Premier League with an underwhelming 5-0-5 record. And while the squad did notch three straight victories over Brentford, Sheffield, and Copenhagen, they came down to earth on Sunday against the treble winners.

"How many players from Man United would get into the first team of Man City? That sums it all up!"

Arsène Wenger masterfully breaks down the inadequacies of Man United against City. #beINPL #MUNMCI #MUFC #MCFC pic.twitter.com/WEBdcAUASp

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) October 29, 2023

As expected, City came out and absolutely had their way with United, with Erling Haaland bagging a brace while also setting up Phil Foden for the third. To be brutally frank, the Red Devils were incredibly disappointing and the defeat just showed how much of a gap there is between them and Pep Guardiola’s men. Their struggles at home are evidently clear as well, losing 34 games at the Theater of Dreams since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They only lost that many on home turf during his entire tenure in charge of the club. The Red Devils have only gone 3-0-3 at Old Trafford in EPL play this term.

Regarding the Carabao Cup, Man U had a bye into the third round where they hammered Crystal Palace 3-0 in late September. The club has the third-most titles in tournament history, winning it six times. This is probably their best chance at any silverware in 2023-24 so you can expect them to take it seriously. The hosts are a +115 favorite at 888sport.

Can Newcastle get revenge?

As previously mentioned, Newcastle had their hearts broken in the final at Wembley against United and will surely be motivated to get revenge on Wednesday and knock out the title holders. Eddie Howe’s men have hit a bit of a cold spell, collecting just one win in their last four outings since embarrassing PSG in the Champions League.

The Magpies tied West Ham, beat Crystal Palace, lost to Dortmund in the UCL, and then grabbed a lone point on Saturday vs Wolves. Callum Wilson was the star of the show in the final third with two goals, but they allowed Hwang Hee-Chan to equalize in the second half.

A brace for Callum Wilson at Molineux on Saturday night.⚽⚽#NUFC | @Advance_FASS pic.twitter.com/u7MxnOa4te

— Newcastle United StatZone (@nufcsz) October 30, 2023

As for the EFL Cup, Newcastle will definitely be feeling confident after eliminating Man City in the third round by a score of 1-0. That was a massive feather in their cap in itself. Wednesday’s affair is just one of several difficult games ahead though, with Arsenal and Dortmund up next on the schedule. The Magpies are a very slim underdog at most soccer betting sites.