League One representatives battle for a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round. Leyton Orient vs Bradford City prediction
Leyton Orient
Bradford
Leyton Orient and Bradford City will meet on Tuesday, 8 September, in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The match will take place at Brisbane Road in London, with kick-off at 20:45 CET. I am backing a goals market in this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Leyton Orient have failed to win at home in normal time in their last three matches.
- Bradford have won just one of their previous four games.
- Bradford have not beaten Leyton Orient in London since 2015.
Leyton Orient head into the third round of the Carabao Cup following a mixed start to their League One campaign. The team have collected seven points from five matches and sit in the upper half of the table. After losing to Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day, the Londoners beat Wigan, lost to Barnsley, thrashed Bromley 5-0 and then drew 1-1 with Luton. The team have already scored 10 goals in the league, demonstrating considerable attacking potential.
Leyton Orient were particularly impressive against Bromley. The 5-0 away victory was the team’s biggest success of the season so far and showed just how dangerous they can be when they make the most of their chances. Just a few days later, the Londoners travelled to Luton and managed to take a point from a 1-1 draw. That result also suggests the squad is in good physical condition ahead of another fixture during a busy period of the season.
Leyton Orient began their Carabao Cup campaign with a victory over Oxford United. They won 2-0 at home to progress comfortably through the first round. The second round proved much more difficult, as their away meeting with Walsall finished goalless after 90 minutes, with Leyton Orient advancing on penalties. The team will now face an opponent from their own League One for the first time this season.
Another advantage for Leyton Orient will be home surroundings at Brisbane Road. However, their record on home soil has been far from perfect so far: the team lost to Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley in the league, although they comfortably defeated Oxford in the cup. The match against Bradford therefore represents a good opportunity to improve their home record and reach the fourth round of the competition.
Bradford City are also enjoying a busy start to the League One season. After five matches, the team have collected nine points and are among the league leaders. Bradford have beaten Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday and Mansfield, while their defeats came against Plymouth and Cambridge. The team have conceded just four goals in five matches, highlighting a fairly solid defensive record.
Bradford played their latest league fixture at home against Mansfield. A single goal secured a 1-0 victory and put the team back on the winning track after two consecutive defeats. Before that, Bradford had lost 2-1 to Cambridge and 2-0 to Plymouth, so the positive result in the latest round should have given the team additional confidence ahead of their cup tie.
Bradford have already negotiated two rounds of the Carabao Cup. First, they beat Rochdale 2-0 before facing Burnley. The match finished goalless after 90 minutes, with the tie decided on penalties, where Bradford prevailed 4-2. As a result, the team have yet to concede a goal in normal time across their two cup matches and head to London with a strong defensive record.
The upcoming match is also interesting because the teams know each other well from their League One campaigns. Their league meeting is scheduled for October, meaning the cup tie will be the first opportunity for the sides to test themselves against each other directly this season.
What to bet on?
Both teams are in good form and have already shown that they can successfully progress through cup rounds. Leyton Orient will have the advantage of home support and are likely to try to take the initiative. Bradford City, meanwhile, have a solid defence and are capable of keeping their opponents under pressure. My pick is over 2 total goals.
