EFL Cup: Round 1
Stadium: Carrow Road
13th August 2024
Norwich City will be hosting Stevenage at Carrow Road during the first round of the EFL Cup. Opposed to starting the championship with a bang, Norwich did no such thing. Who will outsmart the other after 90 minutes?
Receive Your Welcome Bonus!Norwich City form
After this upset defeat for Norwich to their opener in 2024/25—a contest instigated by Oxford United and which continued the poor away form from the previous Championship campaign—it was clear that the newly-promoted U's were here to make their mark on the division. Goals from Mark Harris and Cameron Brannagan secured the points. Regardless of the outcome, Norwich City will be under Johannes Hoff Thorup for the first time as they are in the 23rd place early in the Championship. What the Canaries should look to do is make amends in the Cup with their League One opposition as they will be buoyed by their past successes having picked up the cup twice in 1962 and 1985.
Norwich City Predicted Lineup
Long; Stacey, Sorensen, Hanley, Doyle; Amankwah, McLean, Gibbs; Sainz, Fassnacht, Idah
Stevenage form
Stevenage returned to League One for the first time in a decade last season, to the surprise of many, when they took their place by finishing ninth in the division. The team was close to making the cut for the top six and was only five points adrift of Barnsley in the race for the playoffs. The team started their search for an unlikely promotion in the 2024-25 season with a narrow win late at Lamex Stadium against Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, courtesy of a second-half goal from forward Elliott List. Alex's side has now lost only three of their last games since he took over at the club in late April last year. However, this unbeaten run will be up against a tough test in midweek as Stevenage head to face second-tier Norwich at Carrow Road on Tuesday. Jamie Reid, who netted 18 goals at this level for the Gulls last season, missed the opening few matches of the current campaign because of an unspecified medical condition following summer involvement in international dress for Northern Ireland. Stevenage will hope to pull off their feat at the first-round stage of the EFL Cup last season, where they emerged triumphant in penalties against then-Championship outfit Watford after a 1-1 at the Lamex Stadium.
Stevenage Predicted Lineup
Mahoney; Widlin, Sweeney, Piergianni, Freestone; L Thompson, Phillips, White, Kemp; List, Simpson
Betting Tips: Norwich City vs Stevenage
After a shock defeat at the weekend, Norwich City will be eyeing up bouncing back to winning ways when they host League One's Stevenage in the cup at Carrow Road on Tuesday. Although Stevenage is renowned for upsetting the bigger clubs, we think the lower-league outfit will be no match for Norwich in East Anglia.