Aston Villa v Manchester United - match preview

February 26, 2010 |12:41 | Gossips By : Team X

Villa were the first ever winners of the League Cup, in 1961, and return for the 50th final. And both teams are making their eighth League Cup final appearances – only Liverpool, with 10, have made more. Liverpool have won the trophy seven times while Villa are the next most successful side in the competition with five wins. United have won the trophy three times, including last season’s success, thanks to a penalty shoot-out success over Tottenham following a goalless 120 minutes at Wembley.

Villa are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but they are at Wembley already and will fancy the chance to cement European qualification. Route to Wembley: Villa: 3rd rd Villa 1 Cardiff 0. 4th rd Sunderland 0 Villa 0, won 3-1 on pens. QF Portsmouth 2 Villa 4. SF 1st leg Blackburn 1 Villa 2. SF 2nd leg Villa 6 Blackburn 4.
United: 3rd rd United 1 Wolves 0. 4th rd Barnsley 0 United 2. QF United 2 Tottenham 0. SF 1st leg Man City 2 United 1. SF 2nd leg United 3 Man City 1.

Team details (probable)

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel; Cuellar, Dunne, Collns, Warnock; A Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing; Agbonlahor, Heskey.
United: Foster; Neville, Vidic, Brown, Evra; Scholes, Fletcher, Carrick, Park; Rooney, Berbatov.
Referee: Phil Dowd. Matches (all competitions): 28. R4 Y95.

Past League Cup meetings:

1971: Villa 2 United 1.
1975: Villa 1 United 2.
1992: Villa 1 United 0.
1994: Villa 3 United 1.
1999: Villa 3 United 0.

Stat of the game: Both clubs have received 31,500 tickets, with Villa wearing their change kit of white shirts, navy shorts and white socks. United will wear their traditional red shirts.