The Carling Cup Semi-Finals

Following on from last weeks first leg at Ewood Park, Aston Villa take a 1-0 lead into the second leg on Wednesday evening. It is often difficult to ascertain how the big clubs will treat the Carling Cup earlier in the competition but I feel that all four clubs will be giving it 100% at this stage. For Blackburn Rovers then any cup final will be a huge step even if it is the Carling Cup and winning it will mean European football next season.

So Big Sam will have them fired up to overturn the 1-0 deficit but the Villa midfield when they are on top of their game are very difficult to combat even for the best teams in that league. They will have been stung by yesterday’s failure to beat West Ham in the league and getting to the Carling Cup final will make a great consolation prize for them.

Imagine what a season that would be at Villa Park if they win the Carling Cup and make a top four finish as well. With Manchester City losing their first game on Sunday under new boss Roberto Mancini then they will want to bounce back and what better way than a cup semi-final against their neighbours across the city and the football odds suggest that it will be closely fought.

It has been a long time since Manchester City won a trophy and I am sure that they are yet another club who will be giving it 100% over the two legs. What then of Manchester United, will they want to keep neighbours City in their place? I think that they will and the poster of Carlos Tevez with the words “welcome to Manchester” on it on the entrance to the city a few months ago angered many people at Old Trafford.

You only had to look at the delight on Alex Ferguson’s face when Michael Owen scored the stoppage time winner in the league meeting earlier in the season between the two teams. The betting for the Manchester derby will be intense and it may be difficult to see which way this tie will go. City are still a long way away from being the real deal but I do feel now that they have the proper manager in place despite getting essentially outplayed at the weekend in the 2-0 defeat at Everton.

It appears that the way that Manchester City are handing themselves is upsetting a fair few people although they are obviously a top four club in waiting and this could all mean that they along with United and Chelsea will be contesting the title with the rest fighting for the fourth place spot.

I expect Aston Villa to make the final now and the Manchester derby to go either way. I think that we should be in for a great final at Wembley with Villa against City or United and it is hard to not be interested in a cup competition when it gets to the semi-final stages and big clubs are involved who will be really going for it and you fancy a bet live with bwin live betting then don’t forget to log on starting tomorrow night.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson