Sheffield Wednesday and Rochdale go head to head at Hillsborough for a place in the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
While the Owls will be looking to pick up a third consecutive home victory for the first time since April, the visitors head into the game on a run of three consecutive defeats.
Match preview
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Sheffield Wednesday returned to winning ways in League One as they comfortably brushed aside Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday.
First-half goals from the Scottish duo of George Byers and Liam Palmer set the visitors on their way to all three points and a fourth victory in five games against the Wanderers since November 2018.
Prior to that, Sheffield Wednesday suffered a 2-0 defeat against Peterborough United on August 16 which saw their unbeaten start to the new domestic campaign come to an end.
The Owls, who were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Sunderland in May's playoff semi-finals, now turn their attention to the EFL Cup where they got their revenge over the Black Cats as they claimed a 2-0 first-round victory when the sides met on August 10.
Darren Moore's men head into Wednesday unbeaten in each of their last 12 competitive games on home turf, claiming nine wins and three draws since a 2-0 loss against Rotherham United back in February.
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Elsewhere, Rochdale failed to end their horror start to the new League Two campaign as they were on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Swindon Town on Saturday.
In a one-sided affair at the County Ground, Jacob Wakeling, Jonathan Williams and Harry McKirdy all found the back of the net to hand the Robins their first win of the season in style.
The Dale have now lost their opening five games of the new League Two campaign, scoring one goal and conceding eight to sit rock bottom in the fourth-tier standings.
Sandwiched between that dire run, Rochdale secured a 2-0 victory over Burton Albion in round one of the EFL Cup on August 9, when James Ball and Devante Rodney scored in the dying stages of the game.
Their next cup assignment sees them go up against an opposing side who are unbeaten in the last four encounters between the sides — claiming three wins and one draw — and have lost just once in their last-eight meetings since 2002.
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Team News
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Sheffield Wednesday will take to the pitch without the services of Akin Famewo, who came off with a game-ending injury 23 minutes into the clash with MK Dons on August 6.
Jack Hunt will also be absent from the Owls' team list on Monday as the 31-year-old defender is currently recovering from an illness that has seen him miss the last two games.
Blackpool loanee Reece James will serve the second of his three-game suspension after picking up a straight red in the 2-0 defeat against Peterborough United on August 16.
Meanwhile, Rochdale will have to make do without the services of Luke Charman, who has been out of action since picking up an injury in July's league opener against Crewe Alexandra.
Veteran midfielder Jimmy Keohane is set to sit out his seventh consecutive game after suffering an ankle problem on the eve of the season, while Tahvon Campbell continues his long road to recovery from a broken foot.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; Iorfa, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, Palmer, Johnson; Byers, Bannan, Bakinson; Windass, Gregory
Rochdale possible starting lineup:
O'Donnell; Seriki, Nelson, Ebanks-Landell, John; Kelly, Diagouraga, Ball; Rodney, Henderson, Odoh
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Rochdale
Rochdale have endured a horrid start to the new season and are yet to pick up any points from their opening five league games. In stark contrast, Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in five of their six games this season, picking up four wins in that time.
Given the gulf in class and quality between the two sides, and their contrasting form, we are backing the Owls to come away with a comfortable victory on Monday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
