Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur head into their EFL Cup semi-final second leg this Thursday evening at 20:00 GMT, knowing that the winners of their tie will face Newcastle United in the final at Wembley on Sunday 16 March.
Here, Ben Bloom looks at everything you need to know as Arne Slot’s Reds attempt to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Ange Postecoglou's side at Anfield.
What happened in the first leg?
Spurs gained a controversial 1-0 home win through Lucas Bergvall’s late strike, which came after the teenager - who had already been booked - escaped punishment for catching Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas.
Dominic Solanke had earlier had a goal ruled out for offside, but the hosts inflicted only the second defeat of Slot's Liverpool tenure.
Bergvall's goal v Liverpool
🌟 Another teenage star making his mark in the #CarabaoCup!#EFL | @SpursOfficial pic.twitter.com/GrdmXK0zEX
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 8, 2025
How is the semi-final looking now?
Liverpool’s only subsequent defeat was in a UEFA Champions League match at PSV Eindhoven, having already qualified as top seeds for the last 16.
Slot’s side continue to set a stiff pace at the top of the Premier League, where they remain unbeaten in 19 matches. Mohamed Salah, the competition’s leading goalscorer, grabbed both goals in Liverpool's 2-0 win at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold went off injured during that match and Slot has ruled him out of Thursday's match.
Spurs' season has continued to be a rollercoaster since their first-leg success. They required extra-time to see off non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup third round and have lost Premier League matches to Arsenal, Everton and Leicester City.
But the north London club qualified directly for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 and head to Anfield on the back of an encouraging away win over Brentford.
Postecoglou is unlikely to have any of his many recent absentees available for the match; he suggested Micky van de Ven is not ready for the intensity of domestic football, despite returning from injury in the Europa League last week. On a more positive note, Spurs' latest loan signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel are both eligible to play.
What will it mean?
EFL Cup winners in two of the last three years, Liverpool are still firmly fighting on four fronts this season as Slot looks to complete a seamless transition from Jurgen Klopp.
Languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, Spurs are also still in three cup competitions, which represent their best route to European football next season.
Winning the EFL Cup - the last trophy they lifted, back in 2007/08 - would earn Spurs a place in the UEFA Conference League. Claiming the FA Cup would mean UEFA Europa League football next season, and glory in this year's Europa League final would take them into the UEFA Champions League.
Should Liverpool reach the EFL Cup final, their Premier League match at Aston Villa on Saturday 15 March would instead take place at 19:30 GMT on Wednesday 19 February, giving them eight fixtures in a packed February.
If Spurs go through to face Newcastle at Wembley, their league fixture at Fulham on Sunday 16 March would move to 19:30 GMT on Wednesday 19 February.