Carabao Cup 2019-20: 3 ways how Manchester United can defeat Manchester City
Manchester United travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening.
The first leg ended in a convincing 1-3 away victory for Pep Guardiola's side and with away goals not counting in the competition, United still have a glimmer of hope of pulling off a remarkable comeback. The Red Devils recently defeated Tranmere Rovers 6-0 in the FA Cup fourth round, whilst City overcame the challenge of Championship club Fulham at the Etihad, winning 4-0.
United are really struggling in the Premier League and currently sit in fifth place, with 34 points from 24 matches, which is level with Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As for City, they're in second place in the league but are 16 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. With things not going as planned in the league, the Carabao Cup serves as a good opportunity for both teams to add silverware to their trophy cabinet, and City will be hungry to defend their crown.
United have come through the tests of Rochdale, Chelsea, and Colchester in the Carabao Cup so far this season, beating Frank Lampard's Blues 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the round of 16. City have had a similar run, beating Preston North End, Southampton, and Oxford United en route to the semi-finals.
It takes either a massive slice of luck or a tactical masterplan to overcome City and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping for a bit of both to take down the noisy neighbours on Wednesday under the Etihad floodlights.
There's no doubt that the stadium will be packed and crackling with excitement, but United's youngsters need to keep a cool head and try to pull off a spectacular comeback.
United are without top scorer Marcus Rashford, which makes things even harder, but there are still a few ways that the Reds can breach City.