Preston North End vs Mansfield
29 August 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Cup
Pick Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 8/13 odds taken 2000 GMT, Friday 28 August
Ninth in the Championship last season, Preston will be hoping to get off to a winning start against a Mansfield team who finished fourth bottom in League Two.
Table of Contents
Preston North End Preview – Will Preston show their class as they bid ?
Preston narrowly missed out on reaching the Championship playoffs last season with Alex Neil’s team coming up short by four points in the end. Winning one of seven games when football resumed proved to be their downfall in the end and they now are will into their preparations for another season in England’s second tier. Neil knows what it takes to get out the league, of course, having achieved it with Norwich and will be hoping his team are primed to achieve it this time around.
At the moment, if they are to win promotion, then they will do so with virtually the same squad as last season with no new additions to the squad as yet.
Preston’s record in this competition has been something of a mixed bag of late but they have made it through to the third round in each of the last two seasons. On both occasions they have been knocked out by Premier League opposition and it was the eventual winners – Manchester City – who ended their challenge last season.
That indicates that they are pretty good at negotiating the early rounds and they have seen off lower league opposition in the last two years.
Mansfield Preview – Will Mansfield spring a shock and improve their recent terrible record in the cup?
Mansfield will consider themselves somewhat fortunate that they were able to win two of their final three games before the season ended and that essentially saved them from any anxiety over being relegated. They finished fourth bottom and will be hoping they can improve on that this time around as Graham Coughlan begins his first full season in charge of the club since taking over in December of last year.
His appointment definitely had an initial impact as Mansfield were able to put together a run of four wins and two draws in their last 12 games. For a team at the bottom of the table that’s not a bad record.
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In terms of this competition, it’s been a real struggle as you would expect for a club in the bottom tier. Mansfield have been knocked out in the first round in six of the last seven seasons with the one exception coming in 2018 when they thumped Accrington Stanley 6-1. They narrowly missed out on a very rare experience in the third round after being knocked out on penalties by Morecambe.
Playing away to a very decent Championship side probably wouldn’t be their choice as they attempt to improve on that first round record.
Preston North End vs Mansfield Betting Advice
The teams may not have been long away from competitive football but it’s always an exciting time as the first competitive game of the season takes place. Preston will be hoping to avoid any upsets but their opponents have little to lose and can approach this game with no pressure.
You have to go back to 2004 for the last time the teams played each other and it happened to be in this competition. North End were 4-0 winners on that occasion.
Key Facts – Preston North End vs Mansfield Betting Tip
- Preston were knocked out by the eventual winners Manchester City in last season’s competition
- Mansfield have lost in the first round of the EFL Cup in six of the last seven years
- The teams met in the 2004 League Cup, a game that ended in a resounding 4-0 win for Preston
Anything other than a home win would be a surprise. I expect them to progress but prefer backing over 2.5 goals. Eight of Preston’s last nine games in his competition have went this way and it’s the selection on Saturday.
The best betting odds for Preston North End vs Mansfield
Preston North End to win: 1/2 Betvictor
Draw: 18/5 at Betvictor
Mansfield to win: 11/2 at Betvictor
