Dean Smith challenges Aston Villa players to create their own piece of history ahead of Carabao Cup showdown with Leicester

Villa host the Foxes in a semi-final second leg, with the tie perfectly poised following a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium earlier this month.

Smith is now eager for his team to finish the job in front of their own supporters and write another chapter in a competition Villa have won on five occasions.

The boss, a boyhood fan, was on the Holte End when Villa famously beat Tranmere on penalties to reach Wembley in 1994, when they would go on to defeat Manchester United in the final.

Smith said: “People still talk about Tranmere. That is what the whole sports industry is about, making your own history.

“We did that in May by getting the first ever play-off victory for Villa at Wembley. Now we have another opportunity.

“There are not many chances you get to play in a domestic cup semi-final. We are in one now and we have home advantage.”

Villa are targeting a third trip to Wembley in as many seasons having played in each of the last two Championship play-off finals.

Tuesday, meanwhile, is the 13th time the club have hosted the second leg of a League Cup semi-final. Though there have been aggregate defeats, most notably to League Two Bradford in 2013, they have never been beaten on the night at Villa Park.

Tuesday’s game will go to a penalty shoot-out should the scores still be tied after 90 minutes and Smith confirmed his players have been practicing from the spot in training.

But he added: “I think both managers will be hopeful that it doesn’t go that way.

“We’ve both got another game on Saturday so we’re hopeful it’s done in 90 minutes and it’s a favourable result for us.

“I think (being at home) gives everyone a boost. If we had come away with a defeat people would have thought, with how Leicester are doing in the league this year it would have been a tough ask to go and overturn that.

“But it is even-stevens so it makes for a really good game.

“I’ve been a spectator at a number of semi-finals at Villa Park. The atmosphere can be vibrant and it can certainly help our players and draw that ball into the net, especially from the Holte End. We’ve given ourselves a really good chance.”