The first major trophy of the 2022/23 English football season is almost upon us as we reach the final stages of the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle were the first team to reach the final after beating Southampton 3-1 on aggregate while Manchester United added to a 3-0 first-leg win over Nottingham Forest with a comfortable 2-0 victory in the return fixture.
A trip to the capital will soon be on the horizon for the two sets of fans.
MORE: Carabao Cup fixtures 2022/23 on the road to Wembley
Were the Carabao Cup 2023 semifinals two legs?
The semifinals of the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) took place over two legs, as has been the case since 1960, and this season will be no different.
There was no away goals tiebreaker rule in effect, meaning in the case the teams were level on aggregate goals after the two legs, the number of goals scored on the road would not have been taken into account to determine a winner. Had the ties been all square after both matches, extra time would have been played with a penalty shootout used, if necessary.
The home team for each leg of the semifinals was determined by chance: the team drawn out of the hat first during the draw played the first leg of the semifinal at home, and the team drawn second will host the second leg at their ground.
Carabao Cup Semifinals
All semifinal matches kicked off at 20:00 GMT or 15:00 ET.
| Match | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg | Aggregate Goals |
| Southampton vs. Newcastle | SOU 0-1 NEW | NEW 2-1 SOU | 1-3 |
| Nott'm Forest vs. Man United | FOR 0-3 MUN | MUN 2-0 FOR | 0-5 |
Were the Carabao Cup 2023 semifinals at Wembley?
Unlike the FA Cup semifinals which are both played at Wembley before the showpiece final at the end of the season, the Carabao Cup semifinals did not take place at Wembley.
Because the semifinals were held over two legs, each team played one leg at their home stadium.
Had the aggregate score been level after 120 minutes of action following the second leg, then 30 minutes of extra time would have been played at the end of the second leg. Penalties would have determined the finalist if the teams were still deadlocked after extra time.
Scoring in three consecutive #CarabaoCup matches? No problem for @MarcusRashford!#EFL | @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/rRZvhGPvDp
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 11, 2023
Which teams were in the Carabao Cup semifinals?
The Carabao Cup semifinal draw took place on Wednesday, January 11, following the last two quarterfinal ties. Here's what came out of the hat.
- Southampton vs. Newcastle
- Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United
When were the Carabao Cup 2023 semifinals?
The first legs of the semifinals took place on January 24-25, 2023 with the return games taking place a week later.
The 2022/23 Carabao Cup final will be played on Sunday, February 26 at Wembley Stadium.