One of the 1/16 finals of the English League Cup will happen on Wednesday at John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield, where the local team will face Manchester City. Here’s a match preview with key details.
Match preview
Huddersfield reached this stage after some tough matches, managing to beat Premier League teams Leicester and Sunderland. Both victories came through penalty shootouts, showing the team’s resilience but also highlighting issues with finishing in regular time. Historically, Huddersfield doesn’t often get past the 1/16 finals in this cup, with recent results indicating that progress here is rare.
However, the team has improved their attacking play, scoring in five consecutive matches in this competition. They often exchange goals with their rivals, so home fans might expect at least one goal from Huddersfield against City.
For Manchester City, the League Cup is not a major focus anymore, as shown by their recent record. Despite winning six trophies in the last 11 years, City has only reached the quarterfinals in the past four years, often getting eliminated in the early rounds. Pep Guardiola regularly rotates his squad, allowing younger and backup players to play, which is reflected in their performance.
City’s difficulties away from home in this tournament are clear—only one goal scored in their last four away matches. With a packed schedule, including the Champions League and Premier League, a big win for City in Huddersfield seems unlikely.
Probable lineups
- Huddersfield: Nicholls, Sorensen, Low, Feeney, Rosken, Ledson, Kasumu, May, Castledine, Alves, Taylor
- Manchester City: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Reijnders, Rodri, Bernardo, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Match facts and head-to-head
- Huddersfield has not won in regular time in 11 of their last 12 League Cup matches.
- Manchester City has not won away from home in this competition for four matches.
- Both teams have scored in six of Huddersfield’s last seven League Cup games.
Prediction
Considering the visitors’ squad rotation and the hosts’ determination, Huddersfield has a reasonable chance to compete. City is likely to get a win, but a huge margin seems unlikely. A good bet might be on Huddersfield with a (+2.5) handicap, based on recent statistics.