Nottingham vs Newcastle prediction 28.08.2024 | Carabao Cup

• Competition: Carabao Cup, 1/32 Finals
• Date: Wednesday, 28th August, 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: City Ground (Nottingham)

On Wednesday evening, two premier League sides, Nottingham and Newcastle, will face off against each other in the Carabao Cup 1/32 Finals. The game will take place at City Ground in Nottingham.

Tottenham secured a return to the English top-flight division in the 2021/22 season after a 23-year absence. In the following two seasons, they finished 16th and 17th, winning just 38 and 32 points. In most years, that is not enough for survival, but luckily for them, it was in the previous two years. This year, the Forest opened the season great by winning four points in two games against Bournemouth and Southampton. Those are valuable points because those two teams are direct opponents for relegation. Judging from the first two matches and the pre-season as well, Nottingham looks a lot better, and if they continue like this, maybe they can avoid the relegation battle this year.

Newcastle had a fantastic 2022/23 season when they finished 4th and secured the Champions League for the first time since the 2002/03 season. Unfortunately for them, they were in the death group with AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and PSG, and they finished the competition in the Group Phase. In the Premier League, the Magpies weren't as good as in the 2022/23 season, finishing 7th and failing to secure Europe. Still, they are a team that can do a lot better, and their goal is to once again find themselves in the top four spots and secure the Champions League next year. Interestingly, Newcastle had the same opponents in the first two Premier League rounds as Nottingham and had the exact same results - a 1:0 win over Southampton and a 1:1 draw with Bournemouth.

Nottingham vs Newcastle pick: Under 2.5 goals

Last year, Nottingham had a massive problem with their defense. However, they look a lot better this season, allowing just one goal in the first two games, and because of it were under 2.5 goals on both occasions. It seems that Nikola Milenkovic's arrival was the right move because he and Murillo are looking great together, and we expect them to continue with solid defensive performances. On the other hand, Nottingham were one of the weakest offensive teams in the Premier League, averaging only 1.29 goals per game. There, we do not expect a significant improvement judging from the first Premier League games or the friendlies.

Newcastle were under 2.5 goals in both Premier League games this season. They looked solid defensively, even in the friendlies, especially in the last couple of friendlies when they played with their best squad. In the last four games (two friendlies included), Newcastle allowed only one goal!

Considering both teams' good defensive performances and the fact that both teams played only low-scoring games in the Premier League, we believe that an under 2.5 goal is the best option for this Carabao Cup game.