Two high-flyers of their respective divisions meet in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening, as Stevenage welcome Wycombe Wanderers to Broadhall Way.
Stevenage sit fifth in League Two, whilst Wycombe sit second after four matches in the EFL league campaigns so far, but both of their attentions now turn to a potential cup run to continue their strong starts.
Match preview
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Although Stevenage have struggled in their last couple of games in League Two, they still manage to find themselves in the playoff places early into the new season.
Two straight league wins to begin, either side of their first round progression in the EFL Cup, means there are plenty of positives for the hosts despite being the underdog against an opponent competing in a league above themselves.
Their initial three matches to start the season become even more impressive when you consider the side they knocked out in round one of the cup. Championship side Luton Town visited Broadhall Way at the beginning of the month but left empty-handed after the League Two outfit knocked them out on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regular time.
However, confidence and hopes will have been slightly knocked after the two most recent encounters in the league.
A disappointing 4-1 defeat away to Bradford City was followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Port Vale on Saturday, to bring Stevenage back down after the highs of the previous couple of weeks.
Stevenage will now be hoping to pull off another shock against higher-division opposition to restart another winning run.
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Like their hosts, visitors Wycombe have also started the new campaign very positively, albeit in a higher division.
Gareth Ainsworth's side have shaken off the disappointment of being relegated from their first ever Championship season by just a single point, by beginning life back in League One with three wins and a single draw.
This unbeaten start includes four points in the last two matches against fellow promotion hopefuls Wigan Athletic and Lincoln City, and leaves Wycombe sitting in second place in the league table.
The 1-0 win over Lincoln at Adams Park on Saturday was thanks to a goal from experienced striker Sam Vokes inside just three minutes.
However, in between the impressive league start, the visitors struggled in the first round of the EFL Cup as penalties were required away at League Two side Exeter City after a 0-0 draw in normal time.
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Team News
Stevenage manager Alex Revell could well rotate his pack after a busy start to the season has seen the League One and Two sides play either every three or four days since beginning at the start of the month.
He will have concerns over the availability of Scott Cuthbert, Charlie Carter and Chris Lines, after the trio missed the draw with Port Vale on Saturday.
Luke Prosser, Elliot Osborne and Jamie Reid were their replacements in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, like their hosts, Wycombe will also look to rotate their squad despite the great opportunity to progress into the third round of the cup.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth also has some injuries to deal with in his camp - Dominic Gape and Ryan Tafazolli have been missing since last season so remain unavailable.
David Wheeler and Jason McCarthy have also been recent absentees and missed the win over Lincoln on Saturday.
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Anang; Wildin, Vancooten, Prosser, Coker; Osborne, Taylor, Reeves, List; Norris, Reid
Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; Grimmer, Burley, Jacobson; Freeman, Thompson, Bloomfield, Obita; Kaikai, Mehmeti; Samuel
We say: Stevenage 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
We say Wycombe should have too much for their hosts here, despite a likely spirited performance from Stevenage.
The quality they possess and their fantastic form to start the season should see them through into the third round of the EFL Cup.
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 Wycombe Wanderers win with a probability of 45.81%. A win for Stevenage had a probability of 28.16% and a draw had a probability of 26%.
The most likely scoreline for a Wycombe Wanderers win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.29%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.11%) and 0-2 (8.32%). The likeliest Stevenage win was 1-0 (8.41%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.37%).
