2023-24 Carabao Cup: Round One – Burton v Leicester

Burton Albion welcome Leicester City to the Pirelli Stadium in the First Round of 2023-24 Carabao Cup.

Victory would see Burton avoid suffering a First Round exit in three consecutive seasons, whilst Leicester are seeking to extend their run of reaching the Second Round to 43 years.

 

Team News

Burton have no fresh injury concerns to report after their League One defeat at Blackpool, as Josh Walker remains ruled out with a hip injury.

Leicester have no fresh injury concerns to report after their comeback win against Coventry last weekend, with James Justin, Marc Albrighton and Patson Daka amongst unused substitutes expected to start this match.

Alex Smithies, Victor Kristiansen (both unspecified) and Conor Coady (foot) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Burton host Leicester in a 8pm BST kick-off at Pirelli Stadium on Wednesday 9 August, live on Sky Sports in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Burton have won just one of two previous League Cup meetings against Leicester (W1, L1).
• Leicester won their only previous League Cup visit to Burton in October 2019, prevailing 3-1 in their Fourth Round tie to reach the Quarter-Finals that season.
• Burton are yet to avoid defeat at home to Leicester in all competitions (L3).
• Burton have won five of their last nine League Cup meetings against higher-tier opposition (W5, L4).
• Leicester are unbeaten in their last 12 First Round ties in the League Cup – including two-legged ties (W12), since losing to Rotherham in August 1979.

 

Prediction

After suffering a tough defeat at Blackpool in which they offered little up front, Burton simply have to be more aggressive and clinical if they want to realistically win this tie, whilst avoiding sloppy defensive errors that cost them against the Tangerines.

Leicester meanwhile found themselves in a tough scrap against Coventry but clinical finishing proved enough to pull them through to take victory, which has laid a foundation to build upon although I do expect Enzo Maresca to rotate his squad which has enough quality to dominate.

This round though has seen a lot of early cupsets so Burton will have belief that they can cause their own cupset here, but I just can’t see Leicester slipping up because their squad depth should be enough to see them through if they are better defensively.

Prediction: Burton 0-2 Leicester