Northampton vs Southampton: will Southampton advance to the next round of the EFL Cup
Northampton
In the 1/64 finals of the English League Cup, Northampton will host Southampton on their home turf. The clash is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, kicking off at 20:45 CET. Here’s my pick for the winner of this matchup.
Northampton vs Southampton: match preview
Northampton compete in League One—the third tier of English football. Last season, the side failed to impress, finishing 19th in the table with 51 points from 46 rounds, just five points clear of the relegation zone. The new League One campaign hasn’t started well for Northampton either: a 1-3 defeat in the opener followed by a goalless draw. In last season’s EFL Cup, the team also exited at the first hurdle.
Southampton will look to beat Northampton and knock them out at the same stage as last year. The Saints were in the Premier League last season, but a dismal campaign saw them relegated to the Championship as they finished bottom of the table. The new season kicked off with a 2-1 win over Wrexham. Southampton are clearly focused on a quick return to the top flight, but they also have their sights set on a strong showing in the EFL Cup. Last term, despite their league struggles, the club reached the quarterfinals, where they narrowly lost 2-1 to Liverpool—a respectable result for the Premier League’s bottom side.
Match facts and H2H
- Northampton have won just one of their last five matches.
- Southampton have suffered only one defeat in their last five games.
- Southampton have scored at least once in each of their last eight matches.
- Southampton have conceded in four consecutive fixtures.
- The teams have met four times in history, with Southampton winning every encounter.
- All head-to-head matches between these sides have featured at least two goals.
Probable line-ups
- Northampton: Burge; Forbes, Dyche, Burroughs; Wormleighton, Fornah, Campbell, List; Hoskins, Whitley, McGugan
- Southampton: McCarthy; Kwarshi, Stephens, Edwards; Wellington, Charles, Downes, Sugawara; Robinson, Fraser; Downes
Prediction
Southampton boast a stronger squad and higher-quality players compared to Northampton. The Saints were playing Premier League football just recently and are now among the favourites in the Championship, a status Northampton simply can’t match. My tip: back the visitors to win at odds of 1.5.
