Liverpool vs. Newcastle final set in Carabao Cup; Real Madrid’s huge week with Atleti and Man City on tap

Happy Friday! The EFL Cup final is officially set, with Newcastle United and Liverpool proving their worth in this week’s semifinals, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will have to do the same on Saturday with La Liga’s title race taking center stage. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Feb. 7
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen, 2:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Como vs. Juventus, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Leicester City, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+

Saturday, Feb. 8
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Empoli vs. AC Milan, 12 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Brighton vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+

Sunday, Feb. 9
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FA Cup: Aston Villa vs. Tottenham, 12:35 p.m ➡️ ESPN+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Sevilla vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m ➡️ ESPN+

⚽ The Forward Line

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Liverpool to meet Newcastle in EFL Cup final

The EFL Cup final is officially set, with Newcastle United and Liverpool set to face off for the first trophy of the season at London’s Wembley Stadium on March 16.

Both registered lopsided wins on aggregate this week, with Newcastle beating Arsenal 4-0 and Liverpool reversing a 1-0 deficit against Tottenham Hotspur with a 4-1 scoreline by the final whistle on Thursday. Though there were not a ton of similarities between the two semifinal ties, there is one thing the finalists share – both the Magpies and the Reds look like well-oiled machines, masters of their tactical styles and seem destined to give each other a strong fight for a spot on the podium next month.

Their attacking stars also stood out this week, with early Ballon d’Or favorite Mohamed Salah notching his 26th goal of the season in Liverpool’s 4-0 win on Thursday. If one goalscorer truly stole the show this week, though, it was Newcastle’s Alexander Isak – and that’s even considering the fact that he didn’t actually score on Wednesday against Arsenal. He was a nuisance throughout the game, and James Benge argues that he might just be the world’s best striker right now.

• Benge: “Isak’s dominance of his center backs was such that if the opener hadn’t come then he might have forced it on another moment. As Kai Havertz, manful and not without his qualities, was driven to distraction at the other end, feeding off what scraps Newcastle’s back five would allow him, Isak was making chances for himself and merry havoc for William Saliba and Gabriel. In his current form, he can do nothing wrong. Even when Isak missed the target, it went his way.”

As dominant as Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been this season, with just three losses across all competitions, Newcastle feels best suited to give them a run for their money. They have lost just once in their last 13 games, conceding only seven goals during that stretch. It arguably makes them – and not the Reds – England’s most in-form team, and gives them as good a shot as any to end their 70 year trophy drought.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇪🇸 Battle for top spot in the Madrid derby

The Spanish capital will be the focal point of La Liga’s title race this weekend, when first place Real Madrid host their regional rivals Atletico Madrid, who are just one point behind them.

Real Madrid’s grasp on top spot comes amidst the ups and downs of this season, which have not exactly quit in recent weeks even if their first place standing indicates otherwise. They are only a week removed from a surprise 1-0 loss at Espanyol, and an injury crisis continues to interrupt their season. Antonio Rudiger left that game with a muscle injury that will keep him out for the next few weeks, likely ruling him out of Real Madrid’s knockout phase playoff tie with Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. Additionally, David Alaba – who only recently returned from an ACL tear – is now back on the sidelines with an adductor injury.

Aurelien Tchouameni will likely be one of Los Blancos’ starting center backs on Saturday, much as he was a week ago while Eder Militao continues his recovery from an ACL tear. The onus will, naturally, be on Real Madrid’s high-profile offense to get the job done and perhaps overcompensate for the depleted defense, though that is easier said than done. While Kylian Mbappe is second in La Liga with 15 goals this season, the team can be a little goal shy in high-profile games.

Real Madrid’s woes find a way of showing up on the most unexpected of days, but could be very costly against an Atletico Madrid side that have successfully injected some new life into Diego Simeone’s style. They boast the league’s best defense, conceding just 14 goals in 22 games so far this season, and can count on a variety of goalscorers to help them win games. Antoine Griezmann has eight league goals this season but new signings Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez have been just as impactful – the latter has eight of his own while Alvarez has six in La Liga. They have also lost just one of their last 21 games, so they will be liking their chances against Real Madrid – especially with a makeshift back line.

🔗  Top Stories

🔴 Arsenal’s cup exit: With Arsenal’s trophy drought likely extending to a fifth year, it’s worth asking: Is manager Mikel Arteta in the hot seat?

⚖️ Rubiales trial, explained: Members of Spain’s Women’s World Cup winning team have testified in a Madrid court this week about Luis Rubiales’ forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso, with Rubiales potentially facing jail time for sexual assault and coercion.

🇸🇦 Saudi spending spree: CBS Sports’ James Benge reports on how Al-Nassr convinced Jhon Duran to leave England, and that the Saudi Pro League’s next targets are Mohamed Salah and Vinicius Junior.

🗽 Purce’s Gotham return: NWSL champion Midge Purce signed a new one year deal with NJ/NY Gotham FC, extending her stay with the club to a fifth season.

❌ Celebration punishment?: The Premier League is considering punishing players for mockery and criticism in their celebrations.

❓ Stay or go: The Morning Footy crew takes a look at players whose contracts expire in the summer and decide: Should they stay at their current clubs or should they go?

💬 Ronaldo on Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo picked himself as the best player in the sport’s history.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Leicester City, Friday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Manchester United to win 3-1 (+850) – Manchester United may be in the midst of a season to forget, but cup competitions offer a fresh start of sorts. Expect the Red Devils to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them, especially with a favorable draw against Premier League relegation contenders Leicester City.
• FA Cup: Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Chelsea, Saturday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Chelsea to win 2-1 (+850) – Neither team is in exceptional form, so count on a competitive game on Saturday. It’s hard not to favor Chelsea, though, since the Blues are in the midst of a strong first season under manager Enzo Maresca and have Cole Palmer, who is the human embodiment of a cheat code more often than not.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.   

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