Leeds United’s Carabao Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday is still very raw, but when you look at Daniel Farke’s record in the competition it’s unfortunately no surprise.
The frustrating loss on penalties at Hillsborough was an eerie repeat of Leeds’ previous cup defeat to Salford City, cementing a disappointing pattern for the manager.
Daniel Farke’s teams have consistently struggled to progress, a trend that began during his time at Norwich City.
While Farke has helped Leeds United secure promotion with a consistently impressive league form, cup competitions have proven to be his clear Achilles heel.
Leeds United's German head coach Daniel Farke.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Daniel Farke’s Carabao Cup record isn’t great
Looking back at Daniel Farke’s Carabao Cup record, he has lost four of his opening Carabao Cup games in eight seasons (19-20, 20-21, 24-25, 25-26).
This track record makes for bad reading for a number of reasons. Firstly, it shows a clear and repeatable inability to progress in knockout tournaments, a stark contrast to Farke’s remarkable success in long-form league competitions.
The pattern of early exits has been consistent from his time at Norwich and has continued at Elland Road.
Season Norwich City Round reached
2017-18 Season Round 1: 3-2 win vs Swindon TownRound 2: 3-1 win vs Charlton AthleticRound 3: 3-1 win vs BrentfordRound 4: 1-2 loss vs Arsenal (after extra time) Round 4
2018-19 Season Round 1: 3-1 win vs StevenageRound 2: 4-3 win vs Cardiff CityRound 3: 2-1 win vs Wycombe WanderersRound 4: 1-2 loss vs Bournemouth Round 4
2019-20 Season Round 2: 0-1 loss vs Crawley Town Round 2
2020-21 Season Round 1: 1-3 loss vs Luton Town Round 1
2021-22 Season Round 2: 6-0 win vs BournemouthRound 3: 0-3 loss vs Liverpool Round 3
Leeds United
2023-24 Season Round 1: 2-1 win vs Shrewsbury TownRound 2: 1-1 (8-9 pens) loss vs Salford City Round 2
2024-25 Season Round 1: 0-3 loss vs Middlesbrough Round 1
2025-26 Season Round 1: 1-1 (3-0 pens) loss vs Sheffield Wednesday Round 1
Daniel Farke’s Carabao Cup record, via Transfermarkt.
Furthermore, he has only reached the fourth round twice in his career and, crucially for Leeds supporters, has never progressed past the second round with the club.
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The consecutive penalty shootout losses in 2023-24 and 2024-25 speak to a lack of a killer instinct or perhaps poor preparation for high-pressure situations.
While Farke’s focus is undoubtedly on the league, his Carabao Cup record suggests a deep-seated vulnerability when it comes to cup football.
Pascal Stuijk and Ethan Ampadu during Salford City v Leeds United.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Sheffield Wednesday defeat has echoes of Salford City loss
The goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday and subsequent penalty shootout loss were an almost perfect echo of the 2023-24 season’s exit against Salford City.
The statistics from both games reveal a consistent tactical failing under Farke’s management. In the Salford match, Leeds amassed a massive 33 shots to the League Two side’s 5, and held a dominant 76% of possession, yet still failed to score a winner.
This pattern of dominance without a winning goal was repeated against Sheffield Wednesday, where Leeds had 24 shots on goal and over 80% possession.
This inability to turn chances into goals and close out cup ties against lower-league opposition has been a recurring issue throughout Farke’s career.
His record of never reaching the third round with Leeds and only getting to the fourth round twice in his career speaks to a deeper problem—his teams have consistently lacked the ruthless edge required in knockout football.