The EFL Carabao Cup has gone through numerous name iterations over the years, with it historically called the League Cup. This is a cup competition that takes place each and every year in English football.
It is under the organization of the English Football League (EFL) and any of the clubs in the leading four tiers of English football are able to enter into the EFL Carabao Cup. This means that a total of 92 clubs can partake.
The history of the EFL Carabao Cup
The first edition of the EFL Carabao Cup came back in the 1960/1961 season. It is one of three different domestic football events in English football along with the Premier League and the FA Cup.
The final usually takes place in February, with the other two events not ending until May. The original reason for the creation of the EFL Carabao Cup was due to the increasing influence of European competitions. Organizers also wanted to provide another competition for those teams who were knocked out in the early stages of the FA Cup.
- Aston Villa was the first team to win the Cup.
- Liverpool holds the record for the most EFL Carabao Cup titles with eight wins.
- Liverpool even managed to win four EFL Carabao Cups in a row during the 1980s.
Over the years, there have been numerous fairytale stories of small clubs beating titans of football such as Manchester United. A lot of the smaller clubs relish the chance to play these bigger clubs, providing a great day for fans and players alike, with the chance of an upset always being on the cards.
The format of the Cup
As mentioned, the 92 teams in the Premier League and in the Football League are entitled to enter into the EFL Carabao Cup. There are seven rounds that make up this competition. This sees 32 teams being left in the competition at the third round stage.
For those who are partaking in European competitions, will get a bye into the third round. The other teams that are in the Premier League will enter into the competition at the second round stage. Sometimes there are byes if there is an uneven entry of teams into the EFL Carabao Cup.
All of the games in the competition takes place over a single leg with the exception of the semi-finals which take place over two legs. While a few of the early renditions of the EFL Carabao Cup final took place over two legs, it has been just a one-off final for many decades.
In 2018/2019 there was a rule change that saw extra time no longer being in place in the case of a draw, except for the final. There is also no longer an away goal rule in place at the semi-final stage. If there is a draw in any of the games except for the final, the game will go immediately into a penalty shoot-out.
The EFL Carabao Cup final usually takes place in Wembley, with it going to Millennium Stadium from 2011 to 2007 due to the reconstruction of Wembley Stadium.
The winner will get the EFL Cup, with the current version being a copy of the original trophy. The games for the EFL Carabao Cup are usually shown through Sky Sports broadcasts, with highlights being available online.
Your Guide to Betting
With the EFL Carabao Cup, a lot of the bigger teams do not put as much of an emphasis on winning the trophy. Instead, it is often a competition where younger players are given a chance to develop and those players who have been on the fringes of the team are given some game time. This is ideal for punters because there are going to be many opportunities to get value bets.
There are usually a lot of goals scored in the EFL Carabao Cup, which makes for exciting times for viewers and bettors alike. You have access to countless markets on these games that you can really place some exciting bets. Put your knowledge to the test and spot the value.
You might think that one of the big guns is looking weaker than usual and the underdog actually has a very good chance of winning. You may have been following a young striker who is waiting for the chance of scoring a few goals. Whatever the case may be, there is always a bet for you on the EFL Carabao Cup fixtures.
