Newcastle United sweep past Leicester City to book EFL Cup semi-final place

The Magpies would have been frustrated with the goalless scoreline at half time after they failed to make the most of their overwhelming dominance in the first period.

Those misses failed to deter the Magpies, who opened the scoring through Dan Burn on the hour mark, before Joelinton wrapped up the win to end Newcastle's 47-year wait for a League Cup semi-final.

After being dumped out of the FA Cup by League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle set the tone early with a couple of early chances, as they looked to replicate the comfortable 3-0 win they recorded over Leicester on Boxing Day, where they scored two goals in the opening seven minutes.

Sean Longstaff spurned a promising opportunity, guiding the ball over the crossbar following a slick attacking move, while Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson were both unable to hit the target.

The Magpies continued to surge forward, and their positive attacking play yielded another chance in the 15th minute, with Guimaraes driving a low strike agonisingly wide of Danny Ward's goal.

The Leicester goalkeeper may not have been tested by Guimaraes, but just four minutes later, he had to react well to push Longstaff's strike away from danger.

Ward was once again called into action to ensure the score remained goalless at half time, pulling off a fine stop to deny Guimaraes.

The 15-minute interval did little to disrupt the Newcastle onslaught, which resumed with Joelinton thundering a powerful strike against the post.

Eddie Howe would have been ruing a combination of poor finishing and fine goalkeeping, as two further chances came and went without resulting in an opening goal.

Burn could only head over from Kieran Trippier's pinpoint delivery, before Ward was once again required to thwart Longstaff.

On the hour mark, Newcastle's relentless pressure finally told, when Burn marauded into the box to place his precise strike beyond Ward to register his first goal for his boyhood club.

After conceding for the first time in the competition this term, Leicester's resolve was broken, and their hopes of reaching the last four were ended in the 72nd minute.

Miguel Almiron's perfectly weighted through ball found Joelinton, who calmly slotted his shot into the bottom corner.

Jamie Vardy was presented with a golden opportunity to ignite an unlikely fightback, but with only the goalkeeper to beat, the experienced forward dragged his tame effort woefully wide of Nick Pope's goal.

Newcastle saw out the remainder contest without much fuss, and with a place in the last four secured, they will now begin to dream of winning the League Cup for the first time in their history.

With the Magpies yet to lose at St James' Park in any competition this season, they will attempt to maintain their unbeaten home record when they face Fulham in Sunday's Premier League meeting, while Leicester will make the relatively short trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.