Rochdale and Burton Albion will aim to recover from dismal defeats to the start of the 2022-23 season in Tuesday's EFL Cup first-round clash at the Crown Oil Arena.
Both sides have no points on the board from two games in their respective league season, but one manager will have a first win on the board by the close of play in midweek.
Match preview
A largely positive pre-season period for Rochdale has counted for nought so far, as the League Two side opened their new campaign with a 2-1 defeat at home to Crewe Alexandra before an equally disheartening trip to Gillingham.
Scott Kashket struck the only goal of the game as Robbie Stockdale's side slumped to a second consecutive defeat in the 2022-23 season, and the Rochdale manager did not hold back in a scathing post-match assessment.
Stockdale was left "angry" with his side's lacklustre showing at the weekend but also insisted that Kashket's winner should not have stood due to offside, but there is no VAR to save the Dale's bacon in the fourth tier.
However, Rochdale can be encouraged by their recent runs in the EFL Cup ahead of Tuesday's game, as the hosts have not been eliminated in the first round of the competition since the 2014-15 season, and they have reached the third round in two of the past three seasons.
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Things have hardly been plain sailing at Burton Albion either, who in contrast to Rochdale suffered defeat after defeat in pre-season, and such dismal form has carried over into their new League One campaign. Zero points, zero goals and seven conceded.
Wycombe Wanderers served Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side a slice of humble pie with a 3-0 opening-day success, and Bristol Rovers helped themselves to a 4-0 win on Burton Albion's turf on Saturday, but the writing was on the wall after Conor Shaughnessy's first-minute red card.
Aaron Collins (2), Antony Evans and James Connolly killed the game off before the half-time whistle blew, and the pressure on Hasselbaink's shoulders will continue to grow if his side are unable to produce the goods on Tuesday.
Burton Albion were knocked out in the first round of the EFL Cup by Oxford United on penalties last season after getting to the semi-finals in 2018-19, ultimately being thumped 10-0 on aggregate by Manchester City.
The visitors did come away from the Crown Oil Arena with a 2-0 win in League One two seasons ago, but Rochdale had previously won 1-0 on Burton Albion's turf, and backing any of these two sides with any real confidence would be brave indeed.
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Team News
Rochdale are once again expected to cope with the absences of striker Tahvon Campbell and midfielder Jimmy Keohane, the former of whom is facing several weeks on the sidelines with a pre-season injury.
Stockdale has also suffered fresh blows with Liam Kelly (ankle) and Luke Charman (hamstring), with the latter expected to spend a while out of action.
Tyrese Sinclair and Abraham Odoh could be given opportunities to impress in the final third, while 18-year-old Leicester City loanee Ben Nelson is waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
As for Burton Albion, Shaughnessy will take his place on the naughty step this week after his sending off at the weekend, but Sam Hughes's return from injury was a slight consolation.
Calum Butcher could return to the engine room and allow Adedeji Oshilaja to start at centre-back in place of Shaughnessy, with the former only just back from a ban himself.
Michael Mancienne is in the treatment room for the long-term, and Hasselbaink may be tempted to hand Aston Villa loanee Viljami Sinisalo a start in goal.
Rochdale possible starting lineup:
Slicker; Ebanks-Landell, Graham, John; Seriki, Scanlon, Diagouraga, Ball, Odoh; Sinclair, Henderson
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Sinisalo; Brayford, Hughes, Oshilaja, Hamer; Butcher, Onyango; Smith, Keillor-Dunn, Borthwick-Jackson; Moult
We say: Rochdale 1-2 Burton Albion
Both managers will be demanding an immediate response from their teams here, and Stockdale does have some youthful attacking options ready to freshen up his XI.
The youngsters can seek to take advantage of Burton Albion's depleted backline, but assuming the visitors can keep all 11 men on the pitch, Hasselbaink's men should have what it takes to make it through.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
