Total drama, the rules change for the semi-final stage against Fulham

The Carabao Cup semi-finals conclude this week with Liverpool looking to book their place at Wembley.

23/01/2024, 02:04 PM +00:00

Liverpool will be aiming to book its place at Wembley on Wednesday as it looks to go one step closer to claiming a first piece of silverware this season. The Reds face Fulham in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Craven Cottage. Jürgen Klopp's side holds a 2-1 advantage over Marco Silva's team, having won at Anfield two weeks ago.

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Before the semi-final, let's understand the Carabao Cup rules. Usually, if a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes in the competition, it goes straight to penalties, with no extra time. That changes for the semi-finals though. If the scores are level after both legs, we'll have extra time, with the standard two 15-minute halves played.

If the teams are still tied after 30 minutes of extra time, then a penalty shoot-out will decide the winner. There is no away goals rule in place either, so even if the Reds manage to score more goals at Craven Cottage than Fulham did at Anfield, the tie will still go to extra time if the scores are level.

The Carabao Cup semi-final won't have VAR. It hasn't been used in any rounds of the Carabao Cup, and it won't be used for either semi-final tie. The EFL made this decision because the technology wasn't available for Middlesbrough's first leg against Chelsea at the Riverside but it will be used in the final. What's more, this season's Carabao Cup will be the last to feature a two-legged semi-final. From next season, the semi-finals will be one-legged. It's not yet clear whether the semi-finals will be held at a neutral ground or at one of the competing teams' stadiums.

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Save the date

The Carabao Cup final will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, February 25. Liverpool will be hoping to be there, and the Reds will know their potential opponents by the time they kick off on Wednesday, with Chelsea and Middlesbrough concluding their semi-final on Tuesday.