Elgin City v Hibernian
Friday 26h July 1945hrs
Football – Scotland – League Cup
Pick Both teams to score
Bookmaker sportingbet
Odds: 11/10 (odds taken 11.00 GMT, Thursday 25 July)
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1 | 11/2 | 2/11 |
* (Betting Odds were taken from Bet365 on July 25, 2019 at 15.00)
The group stage of the Scottish League Cup comes to an end this weekend. There’s still plenty to play for in Group C as Elgin and Hibernian have their sights set on qualifying.
Scottish League Cup Betting at Sportingbet
Elgin City – Will Elgin get the result they need to qualify for the knockout phase?
Being a League Two club, it’s testament to how well Elgin have done that they find themselves in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the League Cup. Gavin Price is entering his second full season in charge of the club and this has been a positive campaign so far. After a rather underwhelming league showing last season, Elgin have been competitive in this group. Price’s men recovered from an opening defeat to Arbroath to win their next two. They prevailed on penalties against Championship Alloa Atheltic after a 3-3 draw. That was followed up with an emphatic win over fellow League Two outfit Stirling Albion at the weekend. That has ensured Elgin go into the game against Hibs this Friday with a chance to progress.
By far and a way this represents Elgin’s biggest challenge of the group stage but that win over Stirling, combined with Hibs underwhelming displays will give them hope they can cause a surprise.
Hibernian Preview – Are Hibs going to secure top spot and avoid any late surprises?
Having came in over halfway through last season, Paul Heckingbottom would have been well aware of the pressures that are on him as the boss of the Easter Road club. The former Barnsley and Leeds boss guided Hibs to a top six finish and that was essentially the main objective. This season is different, though, with both cups up for grabs. It’s also the first transfer window that the manager has to bring in his own players. On the face of it Hibs are doing okay. Three games played in this group stage and they are top of their section. Six goals scored and just once conceded, with eight points on the board, is also pleasant enough reading. However, if you dig away at the performances it is a different story.
Hibs scraped past Stirling Albion on penalties after a draw in 90 minutes. A 2-0 win over Alloa and then a 3-0 success against Arbroath, both at home, done little to dispel any worries from the club’s support. It’s still very early to suggest that it’s an indication of what’s to come, of course. But there will need to be significant improvement if Hibs are to challenge for the cups and the European places in the league.
Key-Facts – Elgin City v Hibernian
- Hibs are unbeaten in their three games and top the section with eight points – however their performances have been far from convincing
- Elgin still have a chance of qualifying, either automatically or via one of the best runners up
- The sides met in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup earlier this year and it was a resounding 4-0 win for Hibs at Easter Road
Elgin City v Hibernian Betting Advice
On paper this looks like a pretty straightforward task for Hibs. They come up against League Two opposition needing a point ensure them of top spot. The odds suggest that is likely but even if they achieve it, it’s not been an overly impressive period for this team. In Heckinbotttom’s defence he is attempting to break in a lot of new players but the uneasiness from the supporters is already clear to see. For Elgin, this is a bonus game in many ways. They would probably not have fancied their chances of troubling the top two positions before a game was played. That would have been even more the case when losing their opening game. A point may be good enough for second spot and they then take their chances as one of the best runners up. Three points would ensure they finish level on points with Hibs, however.
