2022-23 Carabao Cup: First Round – Blackburn vs Hartlepool

Blackburn Rovers welcome Hartlepool United to Ewood Park in the opening round of 2022-23 Carabao Cup. 

Blackburn are looking to avoid consecutive First Round exits for the first time since 2014-15 & 15-16 seasons.

Hartlepool meanwhile are looking to advance beyond this round for the first time since they were promoted back to the Football League last season.

 

Team News

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Blackburn have no fresh injury concerns to report after Saturday’s Championship win at Swansea, as Bradley Dack and Tyler Morton are amongst fringe players confirmed to start against Hartlepool.

Sam Barnes (knee) and Hayden Carter (hamstring) remain absent.

Hartlepool have no fresh injury concerns to report with a full squad available for selection, following Saturday’s goalless draw at home to AFC Wimbledon in League Two.

 

Stat Attack

• Blackburn are winless in two previous League Cup meetings against Hartlepool which came in a two-legged Third Round tie in 1974-75 edition (D1, L1).
• Hartlepool won 2-1 in their only previous visit to Blackburn Rovers in October 1974, which saw them prevail 3-2 on overall aggregate to win the tie.
• Both teams scored in both of their two previous meetings with Rovers scoring twice to Hartlepool’s three goals.
• Blackburn have won three of their last five League Cup ties played at home (W3, L2).
• Hartlepool have won just one of their last five away ties in League Cup (W1, L4).

 

Prediction

Blackburn come into this match as red-hot favourites given their impressive start under Jon Dhal Tomasson with two successive clean sheets, yet this is a potential banana skin if they don’t take this game seriously amidst massive squad rotation as Millwall found out at Cambridge last week.

Hartlepool meanwhile come into this game off the back of a gutsy goalless draw against AFC Wimbledon but wasted 10 of their 12 shots off target, which cannot be repeated here if they are to find their first goal of the season and potentially beat Blackburn.

As much as I would like to see Hartlepool utilise the spirit of their FA Cup run last season and give Blackburn a tough match, I just feel like this will be a home win if Rovers score first especially amidst expected squad rotation.

Prediction: Blackburn 2-0 Hartlepool

Result: Blackburn 4-0 Hartlepool