Does Carabao Cup final go to extra-time and penalties? Here’s what happens if Man United and Newcastle draw
Manchester United and Newcastle battle it out in the 2022/23 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on February 26 as both teams aim to clinch the first major title of the English season.
Erik ten Hag and Eddie Howe are set to make their first trips to Wembley where they manage their current sides, with United pushing for a first title since Jose Mourinho’s 2017 EFL Cup win and the Magpies fueled by 68 years of trophy-less disappointment at Tyneside.
Thousands of fans of both clubs are expected to arrive to cheer on their team at the iconic stadium, but recent history could mean a long day in the capital.
As part of its reformatting, the EFL/Carabao Cup has changed its overtime and penalty format in recent seasons, with the competition enjoying a resurgence since 2017.
MORE: Updated 2022/23 Carabao Cup Fixtures and Results
Carabao Cup Final Overtime Rules
As a KO competition, a winner is required after every Carabao Cup tie.
But the tournament does not use extra time until the semi-finals, to decide who advances if the score is tied after 90 minutes.
Should United and Newcastle be tied after 90 minutes, the game will therefore go into overtime.
Overtime was used in every round of the Carabao Cup until the 2018/19 campaign when EFL clubs voted to cut Having to play 30 minutes longer.
“The reasoning put forward by the EFL is that withdrawing the extra 30 minutes of play would directly address any additional fatigue issues occasionally caused when midweek ties extend beyond the traditional 90-minute period,” an EFL said -statement at the time.
Overtime is only used in the second leg of a semi-final or in the final itself.
Can there be a penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup final?
Overtime and penalty shoot-outs have been possible in every Carabao Cup final since the start of the 2018/19 season.
If the game is level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of overtime will be played to try to score a winning goal.
If there is a tie after 120 minutes (regular time plus overtime) and the additional injury time decided by the referee, the game goes to penalties.
The penalty shootout format follows the standard format of five penalties per team, with the option of “sudden death” penalties if a breakthrough is not achieved after every five shots.
Sudden death refers to a team being eliminated when they miss and the opponent’s score, or missing after a successful opponent’s penalty kick.
MORE: When is the 2023 Carabao Cup final?
Carabao Cup final overtime and penalty shootout
In the history of the Carabao Cup (and its previous EFL Cup versions), a final has been won in overtime eight times, including the first final when Aston Villa beat Rotherham 3–2 in 1961.
Liverpool won back-to-back extra-time finals in 1982 and 1983, with the last extra-time win coming in 2008 for Juande Ramos’ Tottenham over Chelsea.
Penalty shoot-out victories are a relatively new phenomenon in the EFL Cup final, with Liverpool’s win over Birmingham City in 2001 being the first.
Since then there have been a total of six penalty finals, with Liverpool winning three, including a memorable winner from goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the 2022 final against Chelsea.
Three of the last seven EFL Cup finals have been decided by penalties and United have won their only one, beating holders Tottenham in 2009.