EFL Trophy: Group Stage
Stadium: Racecourse Ground Stadium
10th September 2024
Wrexham host the visit of Salford City at Racecourse Ground Stadium in this Group Stage of the EFL Trophy. Wrexham are one of the favourites for this cup. Who will triumph after 90 minutes?
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Wrexham form
By the time the 2024-25 EFL Trophy final comes around, it will be two decades since Wrexham tasted victory in the lower leagues of the knockout competition. Darren Ferguson - one of the scorers in that 2-0 victory over Southend United at the Millennium Stadium -. That, however, proved a false dawn as the team's title defense lasted just the first round the following year, as it did in the next two editions. This ended in 2023 when Wrexham made a return to the Football League with investment from Hollywood.
The season before last, Wrexham won only the second round of the EFL Trophy, losing to Burton Albion. But defeat hasn't held them off from their brilliant run this season in League One 2024-25, as it picked up 13 points out of the first available 15 and leaped to the top of the table after a 3-0 win against Shrewsbury Town.
Wrexham won their third straight League One win with a clean sheet and eight goals scored. Their only defeat this season was against Sheffield United in the EFL Cup with a result of 4-2. Wrexham are looking to pull off a third successive promotion after some very encouraging early-season form, topped off with an EFL Trophy final that didn't particularly feel like A Day Out in any silverware sense whatsoever.
Wrexham Predicted Lineup
Burton; Barnett, Cleworth, Scarr, O'Connell, McClean; Jones, Dobson, Lee; Mullin, Fletcher
Salford City form
Salford City's opponents can sympathize with the troubles they are going through since they were also beaten by Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale in their last EFL Cup and EFL Trophy games. They might have held on for 50 minutes in each of the 2-0 defeats to their League Two rivals, but the defeats leave the Ammies with one game played at their level, at the bottom of the table. This Salford City side in the fourth tier haven't always been doomed and gloomed, having good draws at Bradford City and at Chesterfield in their away weeks before carving out their first win of the season at home once again-this time against MK Dons. By beating Morecambe with a Francis Okoronkwo goal, Salford City were supposed to welcome Fleetwood Town but the match was postponed due to international call-ups. Having won the EFL Trophy in the past, Salford City will meet Wrexham once more as their encounters last season ended with a win by the Welsh side at home while losing away to the host at the Peninsula Stadium.
Salford City Predicted Lineup
Young; Austerfield, Negru, Edwards; Mnoga, Watson, Fornah, Garbutt; Woodburn; Kouassi, Stockton
Wrexham vs Salford City Expert Tips
While delighted to have ended their drought of victories with a success last week, Salford City might not have welcomed a weekend off and the need to restart their momentum again. That said, they would have been up against a good Wrexham side whoever the opponents had been. With a few changes, Parkinson's men can still expect to win with some comfort.