Blackburn vs. Aston Villa: Carling Cup Preview

Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers met in the soccer jerseys FA Cup third round on Saturday and the pair clash once again on Tuesday in the last four of the Carling Cup.

Both Villa boss Martin O’Neill and his Blackburn counterpart Sam Allardyce chose to rest key men on the weekend, a game in which Villa triumphed 3-1, with an eye on some potential silverware but it is the midlands club that look much better equipped to advance to Wembley and they should be good enough to earn at least a share of the spoils at Ewood Park.

The midweek clash is the first of two semi final legs but if Rovers are to progress then surely they must establish a lead on home soil. That will be easier said than done however, they have not won for 10 matches, and Blackburn were outplayed by Tuesday’s opponents in defeat 72 hours ago.

Blackburn edged past Premier League leaders Chelsea in the quarter finals via a penalty shootout but that was a rare highlight in recent months for Allardyce as his side continue to struggle and Villa will be a tough nut to crack.

Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Arsenal and Liverpool didn’t tell the whole story of two crucial Christmas top flight encounters for the Villains and instead their form is best represented by an unbeaten run prior to that stretching back to the first week of November.

The likes of Manchester United succumbed along the way and Villa, currently 14 points ahead of Rovers in the Premier League table, are very much contenders for a Champions League spot once again.

While the priority for O’Neill will be a top four finish the Carling Cup has proved a welcome distraction and with Wembley on the horizon the likes of Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor will return on Tuesday.

The excellent John Carew should lead the line in preference to Emile Heskey and key figures Richard Dunne and Stiliyan Petrov, rested on Saturday, should also line up for the visitors.

The only injury concern for the Northern Irish manager surrounds the in-form James Milner but Villa have plenty of quality in reserve and should have nothing to fear from average looking hosts.

Attractively priced at 2.50 in the match odds market, I actually prefer the look of the away side at 1.80 being offered by several firms in the draw no bet book. Two-legged encounters are often cagey affairs in the early stages and I want the safety net of my money back should this to meander to a stalemate.

That said, I’ll be very surprised if Allardyce’s side, who struggle for goals, are good enough to forge an advantage and Villa looked prime for a final appearance.