Carling Cup Betting Preview: Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers

Carling Cup / Maxliu / 20 January 2010 / Leave a Comment

James Milner (left) scored the only goal as Aston Villa beat Blackburn in the first leg

"The FA Cup tie between these two ended 3-1 three weeks ago and an identical scoreline on Wednesday can be backed at [14.5]. For overs backers, remember that the previous time these two met here, the score was 3-2. Back over 3.5 goals at [3.2]."

Martin O'Neill would love to win his first piece of silverware with Aston Villa and the Carling Cup provides a perfect opportunity, says Maxwell Liu.

Aston Villa go into Wednesday night's Carling Cup semi-final second leg with one foot in the final and, at [1.16] to qualify, punters aren't expecting a slip-up from Martin O'Neill's men.

Villa made their class tell in the first half of last week's first leg when James Milner scored the only goal. For Blackburn, the defeat extended their run without a win to 12 games and their first half performance was one of their worst under Sam Allardyce.

Big Sam was feeling the pressure following the defeat but, although Rovers trade at [6.4] to win at Villa Park and [6.8] to reach the final, those odds would have been longer had Rovers not beaten Fulham on Sunday.

Villa had a frustrating weekend as they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Ham at Villa Park and Blackburn will have noted how the Hammers five man midfield stifled O'Neill's attackers.

However, asked about his team's chances on Wednesday, Allardyce says: "If we're going to reach the final we have to score the first goal." This suggests they may go with two strikers and start Benni McCarthy - who looked lively against Fulham - alongside Niko Kalinic. The young Croatian caused Villa's back four problems in the second half at Ewood and hit the woodwork twice.

It's going to be tough for Blackburn though. Their attacking play is uninspired while Villa's central defensive partnership of Richard Dunne and James Collins is increasingly solid. Blackburn's best chance of scoring might come from a set piece and, while he may be no Franco Baresi on the ball, Chris Samba can be effective in the box. Back him in the first goalscorer market.

That would throw the tie open but Villa's attacking talents would relish the chance to express themselves against a defence they have already put five past this term. They could draw level before half-time and go on to score a couple more in the second half. The FA Cup tie between these two ended 3-1 three weeks ago and an identical scoreline on Wednesday can be backed at [14.5]. For overs backers, remember that the previous time these two met here, the score was 3-2. Back over 3.5 goals at [3.2].

Should Blackburn prove more durable and take the tie to penalties, then Villa must be backed. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who is likely to replace Brad Friedel again, proved himself to be a penalty-saving king in an earlier round shootout against Sunderland and denied David Dunn from the spot in the FA Cup.

Blackburn will be a tougher proposition than they were in the first leg but Villa will have too much for them. Having won this competition with Leicester and taken Celtic to the brink of a UEFA Cup triumph, O'Neill is a highly adept manager in cup competitions. He's made steady, at times spectacular, progress during his three-and-a-half seasons at Villa Park and will regard winning this season's Carling Cup as a significant block in his building progress.

At [3.0], he will be believe that his side can beat either of the Manchester clubs in the final.