This year has flown by. It’s hard to believe that we’re at the quarters already for the Capitol One Cup. Time flies when you’ve got good soccer to watch. We’ve got some great matchups at this stage of the Capitol One Cup. Plenty of opportunities for potential upsets, chances to regain form, and maybe even an absolute rout.
Capitol One Cup Fixtures:
Tuesday, December 1:
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 28: Ben Gibson of Middlesbrough celebrates scoring his penalty during the penalty shoot out during the Capital One Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester United and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on October 28, 2015 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Middlesbrough v Everton:
Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Location: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Prediction: I have a feeling that we will see at least one upset at this round and this game has all of the makings to be it. Middlesbrough have been in fine form, as has Everton. The big difference is that Everton have been weak defensively (allowing three goals last weekend), and Middlesbrough have been incredibly difficult to score at home. They’ve already knocked out Manchester United, so they won’t be awed by a larger team either. When we take into account that Everton might be missing James McCarthy and Gareth Barry, we can see that Everton are definitely there to be taken.
Predicted Final Score: 2-1, Middlesbrough win in ET
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku — While I have Middlesbrough winning, I believe it will come down to Lukaku. He presently has five goals in four games, so it’s a safe bet that he will get the one goal I predicted for Everton. If he is able to bully Middlesbrough’s defense, which is certainly a possibility, there’s no reason he couldn’t get a second goal that could end the game for them. He is coming up against a very stingy defense, though, so the question marks are certainly there, and with some of the big holes in their squad (through injury) he might have some difficulty getting the service he’ll need. A lot will rest on Lukaku’s shoulders this match.
Manchester City v Hull City:
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City scores his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Manchester City and Sevilla at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2015 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Prediction: Even without Aguero, Hart, and Kompany, it is impossible to look past Manchester City for this game. Hull should be able to put up a stiff defense for them, but once the floodgates are open, goals will pour in. We have to remember, they still have Toure, Silva, and Bony (among many other options) that should be more than enough. The fact that they followed up their loss to Liverpool with a 3-1 win over Southampton show they’ve bounced back to winning form. Sorry, Hull, it could get ugly.
Predicted Final Score: 3-0, Manchester City win
Player to Watch: David Silva — He should always be a player you’re watching because he demands it. Silva is such a skillful player, and, aside for Aguero, is Manchester City’s most important player. Against Hull, we can expect him to operate centrally with Sterling and De Bruyne out on the flanks. The two wingers are good enough to prevent Hull from marking Silva up too much. If Toure decides that he doesn’t feel like playing today, most of the creative output will rest with Silva, and he’s just fine with that.
Stoke City v Sheffield Wednesday:
Bojan during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on January 17, 2015 in Leicester, England.
Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Location: Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
Prediction: This one was really tough to call. It honestly came down to who was in better form, and that was Stoke. They’ve just been better in the last few games, where Sheffield Wednesday have been fairly drab. Not terrible form, but really not the best either. Right now, I’m predicting it will be a tight, one nil draw, but this is a game to watch. It will either be a close, last minute goal type game or something insane will happen and one of the teams will score five.
Player to Watch: Bojan — What an influential player he has become for Stoke. We’ve raved about him before, but against Sheffield Wednesday, he should have the skill to put them to the sword. That being said, Sheffield Wednesday held Arsenal in the last round and put three past them, so it’s not a dead certainty. We will be able to tell a lot by how quiet, or influential, of a game Bojan is having.
Predicted Final Score: 1-0, Stoke win
Wednesday, December 2:
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 28: Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool encourages his team during the Capital One Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on October 28, 2015 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Southampton v Liverpool:
Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Location: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Prediction: Southampton are a great squad that is going through a rough patch of form right now. Liverpool are a great squad that are going through some great form. Both have exciting managers that are tactically astute and hard working teams with great technical abilities. This should be a good game to watch. That said, with Liverpool just in the better form presently, it’s hard to look past them in this match. The hard pressing of both teams will make this a midfield battle, and, in the end, it will come down to who is more lethal. Liverpool have several players that should be able to put them ahead.
Predicted Final Score: 1-2, Liverpool win
Player to Watch: Daniel Sturridge — Over the last week, Sturridge has been destroyed in the media, with many questioning his pain tolerance and will to play. He got a run out against Swansea last weekend, and will be chomping at the bit to prove his doubters wrong. It’s currently up in the air whether Klopp trusts him physically enough to start, but he should get time on the pitch. If he does, we can expect to see the Sturridge that tore Aston Villa apart earlier on in the season, especially if Henderson and Coutinho play along with him.
