This weekend’s Premier League action isn’t even said and done yet, but many are already turning their attention towards what promises to be another busy set of midweek fixtures – this time in the Carabao Cup. The competition, which is known by many as the League Cup, often receives mixed responses from fans. Some feel as if it’s a good opportunity for lower league sides to test themselves against better opposition, whereas others believe that it’s a waste of time. Of course, a lot of that depends on who you support, but either way it doesn’t seem like that debate will come to an end anytime soon.

The competition is at the quarter final stage now, meaning that we’re just a few steps away from learning who will contest the first final of the domestic season at Wembley. One of the two biggest games of this stage, in our mind, will see Leicester City take on Manchester City. These two sides have had extremely eventful seasons in more ways than you can possibly imagine, but they’ll still have their eyes firmly on the prize. One is a clear favourite over the other, but when it comes to the cup, none of that really matters.

Leicester are still navigating their way through what was always going to be a difficult remainder of the season in the wake of their chairman’s passing earlier this year. On the pitch, though, they are still regarded as a team who can pop up with a goal out of nothing – which is always a nice position to be in. Claude Puel certainly still feels like the right man for the job at the King Power Stadium and they’ve got a formidable squad, but you have to wonder whether or not they’re going to prioritise this over the possibility of pushing for a spot in the top half.

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All eyes are still on their opponents, Manchester City, to see whether or not they’re capable of winning every single competition they’re involved in this season. It’s certainly not outside the realms of possibility, although this is still a tricky game for them even though many would think they’ll walk through the Foxes with relative ease. Pep Guardiola knows how to manage his resources better than most at this level and it’s hard to argue against that, but complacency is always a risk when you’re also focused on defending your Premier League crown.

Leicester’s last six game stretch has been a bit up and down to say the least, kicking things off with a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in late November. Three days later they drew with Southampton in the Carabao Cup before edging through on penalties, setting up this encounter against City. They then defeated Watford 2-0 before being held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham, but it’s in the last few games that they’ve had a bit of a wobble. They lost 2-0 to Tottenham but still put up a good fight, before suffering an unfortunate 1-0 loss against Crystal Palace yesterday.

City’s last six haven’t been quite as one sided as you’d think, with their 2-2 draw against Lyon kicking things off back in late November. They then got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, followed up by a hard fought 2-1 win over Watford. Then, their season took a bit of a turn with a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea which really did turn their campaign upside down. They’ve managed to get back on track, though, with a 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim followed by a 3-1 win over Everton last night which put the pressure back on Liverpool in the title race.

The overall head to head standings between the two aren’t as close as you may have initially thought, with Manchester City leading 57-29 with 29 draws thrown in there for good measure. They first squared off way back in 1895 which showcases the longevity of the two sides, with their last meeting taking place back in February. Manchester City ran out 5-1 winners in that game, and while they may also be seen as having the advantage in this one, they’ll also be well aware of the fact that they need to play Leicester again on Boxing Day – just eight days after this Carabao Cup meeting.

There’s no real way of accurately predicting what either team are going to do in terms of their starting line-ups, because a different competition tends to throw everything up in the air. Leicester will likely put out a handful of their top stars, and we’re fully expecting to see Jamie Vardy play some kind of role even if it’s just off the bench. They’ve been known for their success in this competition throughout the course of their history, and they’ll want to add another famous night into the record books next week.

City, on the other hand, have the kind of strength in their squad that most of us can only dream of. Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench in the win against Everton but he probably isn’t going to be risked in this game, especially given how much they need him in the Champions League and Premier League. Phil Foden will likely start as he continues to impress the masses, whereas a lot of fans are expecting to see Sergio Aguero as he continues to battle for his place in the first team with Mahrez, Sane, Jesus and Sterling continuing to thrive.

Leicester vs Manchester City Betting Prediction

It should go without saying, really, that both teams are going to look very different in comparison to the sides they put out during their Premier League encounters this past weekend. The Foxes will likely field a stronger starting XI based on what they’ve got available to them, and by that, we don’t mean City are going to have the weaker side. We just mean that there’s a higher probability of them making significant changes, although their strength in depth means many probably won’t even be able to tell.

We can see Leicester coming out like a house on fire, because let’s face it, that’s exactly what they need to do. We can’t see them taking the lead but we can see them putting up an outstanding fight, and perhaps even keeping it goalless until the dying embers of the game. At that point we believe City will bring on one or two of their top superstars in order to see the game out, scoring in the final few minutes to secure a passage into the final four. Even with that, though, the real story will be the Foxes and their determination from the first whistle until the last.

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