Carling Cup semi-final, second leg
Venue: Villa Park Date: Wednesday, 20 January 2010 Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC One and the BBC Sport website; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
**Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan is expected to start the second leg of this Carling Cup semi-final, as he has done for all of their cup games.**John Carew has suffered a knee injury in training and is doubtful, while Nigel Reo-Coker has an ankle problem.
El-Hadji Diouf returns to the Blackburn squad after completing a ban for his red card against Villa in the FA Cup.
David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen missed Sunday’s win over Fulham but are both available.
Aston Villa
Suspended: None Doubtful: Carew (knee), Davies (fitness)
Injured/unavailable: Bouma (toe), Reo-Coker (ankle), Salifou (compassionate leave)
Blackburn
Suspended: None Doubtful: None
Injured: Grella & Jacobsen (both thigh), Roberts (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
For Aston Villa to be denied their first major cup final for a decade, Blackburn must overcome the weight of history. In 50 years of the League Cup’s existence only two teams have lost the first leg of the semi-final at home and gone on to reach the final, a feat last achieved by Arsenal 23 years ago.
“Eventually, in say 50 years from now, the size of this club will be defined by the amount of times you have been winning trophies”
Villa manager Martin O’Neill
Even then, Arsenal - like Stoke in 1972 - needed a replay to win in the days before penalty shoot-outs, so an aggregate victory for Blackburn would be unprecedented.
Villa have been synonymous with the League Cup since winning the inaugural competition in 1961. They have reached seven finals and lifted the trophy five times, second only to Liverpool.
Martin O’Neill’s League Cup record is almost as impressive, having twice won it as a player with Nottingham Forest and twice more as manager of Leicester City. The last of those successes was in 2000; Villa also reached a Wembley final that year but lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup.
The League Cup is actually the last major trophy to be won by either club. Villa beat Leeds in 1996, and there was joy of the Rovers six years later when Blackburn triumphed in their only final.
Villa will start as favourites, but Blackburn’s second-half fightback in the first leg, when they twice hit the post, showed they are not yet beaten.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Villa are unbeaten in their last six home games against Blackburn, winning five of them - including in the FA Cup earlier this month.
• Blackburn’s last win at Villa was a 2-0 Premier League success in March 2004.
606: DEBATE
Have your say on the game
Aston Villa
• Villa are contesting their first semi-final in any competition since losing 5-4 on aggregate against Sam Allardyce’s Bolton in the 2004 League Cup.
• Villa have won seven of their last 10 games in all competitions, but failed to win - or score - in any of their last three league matches.
• Last Sunday’s match against West Ham was Villa’s first goalless draw at home for a year.
Blackburn
• Rovers won for the first time in 13 league & cup games on Sunday when they beat Fulham (W1, D6, L6).
• Blackburn have only managed one away win against top-flight opposition this season, beating Bolton 2-0 on 22 November.
• They have contested six domestic semi-finals in the past eight years but only reached the final once, when they won the League Cup in 2002.
• The 1-0 semi-final first leg defeat to Villa was the first time in 13 Carling Cup games that Blackburn have failed to score.
LAST MEETING
Blackburn 0-1 Aston Villa (14 January 2010)
Aston Villa scorer: Milner 23.