Walsall are set to host Huddersfield Town at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Tuesday evening, both aiming to progress into the third round of the 2024-25 EFL Cup.
The hosts dramatically beat Exeter City 4-3 on penalties in the first round, while the visitors comfortably defeated Morecambe 3-0 to advance into the second round.
Match preview
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Since suffering relegation from League One in 2018-19, placing in 22nd, Walsall have often found themselves finishing in the bottom half of the English fourth tier.
They placed exactly mid-table in their first year in League Two, 12th with 47 points, before placing 19th and 16th in back-to-back occasions in the subsequent campaigns.
Walsall finally showed improvements in 2023-24, climbing up the table and claiming an 11th-placed finish with 65 points, leaving them just five points outside the playoff places.
Mat Sadler's side were on course to fight for a place in the playoffs going into the closing stages of the campaign, but four losses in their final five matches saw them fall to 11th.
Sadler will be aiming to guide Walsall one step closer to securing a playoff spot for a chance at promotion back to League One this season, and they've started the 2024-25 campaign in great fashion.
Walsall kicked off their season with a 1-0 win over Morecambe in League Two, followed by a dramatic EFL Cup penalty victory against Exeter after Jamie Jellis's 93rd-minute equalizer, and then secured a commanding 4-0 league win against Swindon Town.
Despite being dominant in their most recent outing against Tranmere Rovers, holding 61% of the ball and taking 13 shots to their opponents' five, Walsall endured their first loss of the season with a 1-0 defeat, leaving Sadler hoping to return to winning ways on Tuesday.
Huddersfield will prove a challenging task for Sadler's side, with their opponents coming into this game having enjoyed the perfect start to their season.
After being devastatingly demoted from the Championship into League One for the first time since their promotion in 2011-12, Huddersfield will have ambitions of a promotion in their first attempt this year.
Michael Duff, who took charge of the side in May, has guided his new team to four wins from their opening four matches, conceding just one and scoring an impressive eight times.
Duff will be aiming to continue that impressive start at his new club with a victory against lower-league Walsall on Tuesday, a side they have not lost to since September 2009.
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Team News
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Priestley Farquharson is a doubt for this match after being forced off with an injury at half time in the 1-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers last time out, meaning David Okagbue could come into the starting side.
Elsewhere, a similar team that has started the first four matches of the campaign could start here, with Josh Gordon and Jamille Matt starting in attack and Taylor Allen partnering Okagbue and Oisin McEntee in defence.
The visitors could be without Brodie Spencer after the defender was taken off in the 51st minute of their 1-0 win against Shrewsbury Town last time out.
Ben Wiles and Callum Marshall have scored twice for Huddersfield this campaign, and both are in line for a start against Walsall on Tuesday evening.
Walsall possible starting lineup:
Simkin; McEntee, Okagbue, Allen; Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, Lakin, Gordon; Matt, Gordon
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Maxwell; Lees, Helik, Pearson; Sorensen, Evans, Hogg, Wiles, Miller; Ward, Marshall
We say: Walsall 1-3 Huddersfield Town
While Walsall have enjoyed a positive start to the term, Huddersfield have been unstoppable with four wins in four matches so far, and we expect that streak to continue with another win for the visitors here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
