Carabao Cup Final Bet Builder: Magpies may draw first blood in tight contest

Sunday’s clash at Wembley will be a huge occasion as Manchester United and Newcastle vie to get their hands on the first piece of domestic silverware on offer this season.

Here, we highlight some trends around both teams that could inform a successful Bet Builder for the Carabao Cup final.

Magpies may draw first blood in tight contest

Bet 1: Half time/Full time result will be Newcastle/Tie

Newcastle could catch United cold in the opening minutes of the game as they have had eight days to rest and prepare for it while Erik ten Hag’s men will have had less than 72 hours to recover from their Europa League win over Barcelona.

United have not started well in any of their last eight games in all competitions, during which time they have scored just two first-half goals.

One of those was a penalty awarded for a silly handball against Crystal Palace and the other came at Old Trafford last Sunday after David de Gea had already denied Leicester with a couple of smart stops.

The Reds have played two hard games since the Magpies were last in action and could suffer in the early stages if Newcastle keep the intensity high from the kick-off.

The return of playmaker Bruno Guimaraes, fully refreshed after serving a three-game ban, could help their cause and then it will be down to how they cope once United have dusted off the cobwebs.

Ten Hag’s team have finished stronger than their opponents in almost all of their games since the World Cup, so it would be no surprise to see them force an equaliser that could take the final to extra time.

Bet 2: Casemiro to receive a card in the match

There is little doubt that Casemiro will start in United’s midfield on Sunday and, based on his recent run of ill-discipline, every chance that the Brazilian will be a recipient of a card of some colour.

The ex-Real Madrid man has been booked in five of his last eight appearances and received a straight red in another, meaning he has collected 66% of his cards for the season in the last month.

Many of the offences he has fallen foul of the referee with have been professional fouls when he has needed to tug back an opposing player as they advanced on goal.

And there could be situations that require him to do so something similar on Sunday as United look to give their fans something to really cheer about.

Bet 3: Exactly two goals in the match for both teams combined

Goals were certainly at a premium when these two sides met in the Premier League at Old Trafford in October as the game finished 0-0.

But there were certainly plenty of chances as Joelinton saw a first-half header hit the bar before failing to find an open goal from the rebound.

United striker Marcus Rashford also wasted a golden chance with an injury-time header so there should be no fears over whether the two sides will cancel each other out and produce another scoreless contest.

However, the two defences on show are among the best in the country right now and there may not be many chances for either side to score multiple goals as this game could easily finish 1-1.

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