Accrington Stanley will travel to Oldham Athletic on Tuesday as they look to extend their four-match winning streak by earning a place in the third round of the EFL Cup.
League Two opposition Oldham have not had quite as strong of a start to the season, but cup football could prove to be the exact type of distraction needed.
Match preview
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Oldham are yet to win a game in the league, which is why they currently sit bottom of the division as they stare down the possibility of a relegation battle throughout the campaign.
The Latics have struggled so far and the lack of goals has proven to be a big reason for that, having only found the back of the net twice in the league.
Keith Curle's men were defeated 2-1 against Colchester United during their last performance, conceding two goals in the opening 15 minutes which set the tone, with Dylan Bahamboula's goal not being enough to get his side back into the game.
Curle took over Oldham after Harry Kewell's time in charge came to an end last season, but since that point, he has only been able to guide the club to four victories.
Last season, the Latics were knocked out of the EFL Cup in this round with a 1-0 defeat to Morecambe and the club will be aiming to go one step further and try to get back to winning ways in the process.
Oldham were able to defeat Tranmere Rovers in the first round of the competition, where they actually fought from behind to earn a 2-2 draw before progressing via a penalty shootout in their only win of the season so far.
Accrington Stanley have already made an improvement on the first-round exit from the EFL Cup last year, which will no doubt be a positive situation, but the club will now be aiming to go one step further.
Since knocking out Rotherham United in this competition with an 86th-minute Colby Bishop strike earning the 2-1 win, Accrington have not lost a single game as they have built their confidence.
Stanley come into this fixture on the back of consecutive 1-0 victories, proving just how resilient they are defensively, and they will now want a fifth win on the bounce to remain in the EFL Cup.
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Team News
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Oldham Athletic will still be without first-choice goalkeeper Danny Rogers, who has been battling with a shoulder injury as of late, which has led to Laurie Walker being provided opportunities.
However, the club will have been boosted by the news that Ousseynou Cisse has signed a new deal, committing his future to the Latics which he will hope to build on in terms of his performances.
Accrington Stanley could be without defender Michael Nottingham, who scored the winner in their recent league fixture as he was forced to come off late on in the game over an injury.
John Coleman has named an unchanged team in his previous three games, but the knock to Nottingham could see new loan signing Sam Sherring make his debut for the club.
Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:
Walker; Clarke, Sheehan, Piergianni; Adams, Cisse, Bettache, Hart; Bahamboula, Davis, Hope
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Sykes, Sherring, Rodgers; Pritchard, Butcher, Morgan, Pell, McConville; Charles, Bishop
We say: Oldham Athletic 0-2 Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley have had an impressive start to the season, which they will no doubt look to continue at the expense of Oldham in the EFL Cup.
Their ability to defend a one-goal lead is something that could prove to be vital if they get ahead in the game, as they will happily shut up shop and make it tough for Oldham to get back into the game.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Accrington Stanley win with a probability of 49.47%. A win for Oldham Athletic had a probability of 27.16% and a draw had a probability of 23.4%.
The most likely scoreline for an Accrington Stanley win was 1-2 with a probability of 9.55%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-1 (8.63%) and 0-2 (7.62%). The likeliest Oldham Athletic win was 2-1 (6.77%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.8%).
