Manchester City has its sights set on a lot of goals here in the second half of the season. The Citizens could still win the Premier League, and they also could have the FA Cup and the Champions League on their radar as well. However, they also have the Capital One Cup to contend with once again on Wednesday afternoon, as they have to overcome a 2-1 deficit to Everton if they want to reach the finale at Wembley Stadium next month.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -220
Everton +550
Draw +350
Over/Under 3 (over -125)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Manchester City absolutely has to be the overwhelming favorite in this match. The team was beaten 2-1 by Everton at Goodison Park a few weeks ago, and winning this match is mandatory to overturn that result. A 1-0 win would be good enough to get through, but if the Toffees can score more than once, it'll take a two-goal win by any score to put the Citizens into the final.
Man City is set at -220 on the moneyline, and it is favored by a single goal. The fact of the matter is that the opening goal in this one is going to really open up the offense. The second legs of home-and-home series tend to end up being a little higher scoring, and after three goals in the first 90 minutes, it'll take more than that to push this game over the total of 3.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
It's worth remembering that Everton was nearly dismissed in the second round of this tournament. The Toffees were behind 2-0 and 3-2 against Barnsley on the road, and they needed to score twice in overtime to escape that match 5-3 at Oakwell. From there, Everton dismissed Reading on the road and Norwich at home, the latter of which came in penalties. Roberto Martinez's side never struggled in a 2-0 win against Middlesbrough in the quarterfinals before taking a 2-1 decision against Manchester City in the first leg of the semis.
City really hasn't had much in the way of hassles here in the Capital One Cup. Manuel Pellegrini has really put together a good side for this tournament for the most part, starting with a dominant 4-1 victory at Sunderland and followed up with a 5-1 win over Crystal Palace. Hull City was the next to go at 4-1, but that's when the Citizens hit some troubles. They were beaten in that opening match by Everton, and they'll need a similarly good result to the ones we've seen across the rest of the tournament to capture a spot in the finale.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
In that first meeting, Man City really wasn't at its best. Sergio Aguero didn't play all that well, and the midfield found itself on the back foot more than it probably should have. The Citizens are used to having over 55 percent of the possession, and having just 53 percent of the ball in the first leg was out of the ordinary for sure.
Still, we see a lot of problems here with Everton. Romelu Lukaku has been playing well, but he could be on the way out of town in the next few days, perhaps even to Manchester City. With Steven Naismith getting transferred out and Tim Howard perhaps following him as well, we're a little worried about the psyche of the Toffees.
Everton hasn't had a lot of great results of late, and we'll have to see whether Martinez can help put this team together for 90 more great minutes. We just doubt that he can do it against what might be one of the best five teams in the entire world.
Manchester City 4, Everton 1
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Manchester City and Everton is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. ET at Ethiad Stadium. The match will be televised live on beIN Sports TV.
