National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Bolton Wanderers or Manchester United U21 that keep their silverware dream alive.
The hosts Bolton Wanderers saw competitive action as recent as three days ago, playing in the League One. That game was an away game at Shrewsbury Town, so at least Bolton Wanderers are thankful to return home in this one. Game on!
Bolton Wanderers form and stats
This is not the first game this season in the EFL Trophy for Wanderers, as the manager Evatt led his troops to eliminate Leeds United U21, Tranmere Rovers, Barrow and Crewe Alexandra, and reach the 3rd Round. Bolton Wanderers was eliminated in the 3rd round last season in the EFL Trophy.Bolton Wanderers are steadily winning League One games and points here at University of Bolton Stadium. 6 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats is the summary from 9 games.
No payout for Bolton Wanderers in their previous match, an away game at Shrewsbury Town that ended in defeat 2-3. The defeat against Shrewsbury Town was especially painful as the deciding goal against was scored two minutes into stoppage time (by Dunkley). The versatile forward Charles edged out all the other footballers in that match and managed a match rating of 7.62 out of 10. Charles scored two goals.
Preceding that game was the home draw versus Bristol Rovers that ended 1-1.The hosts are modest favourites in this match, with the bookmakers estimating the chance of a home win at about 50% +- five percent. It's interesting to look at how Bolton Wanderers have performed under similar circumstances, so here are some numbers: When modest favourites like this (we found 13 games) they have won 7 times, drawn 2 and lost 4.
Another home game is coming up fairly shortly for the hosts, as Exeter City are coming to town in four days.
Wanderers are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 13 goals in 9 games. It's worth mentioning that 10 of these goals has been scored in their last three home matches. Bolton Wanderers are not conceding a lot of goals here at University of Bolton Stadium in the league, averaging less than one per game. The total is 7 from 9 matches.
Manchester United U21 form and stats
The traveling awayteam has defeated Wolves U21, Barrow, Carlisle United and Fleetwood Town in order to reach 3rd round of EFL Trophy. Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the group stage.There's been little loot from Manchester United U21's travels as they have only collected 4 points from 6 away games in the Premier League 2 Division One. Manchester United U21 only have 0 wins to counter their 2 defeats and 4 draws.
It's another away fixture for the visitors, as they travelled to Wolves U21 in their previous outing. The EFL Trophy duel ended 0-0.
A 1-6 loss hosting Manchester City U21 before that.Manchester United U21 are the outsiders in this one, but not by much. Their performance in similar games (being the away team and moderate outsiders) is 3 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats. From a total of 9 matches.
Manchester has displayed an ability to score goals in away matches in the league this season, 10 goals from 6 games. People interested in "over 2,5 goals" betting will like to know that Manchester United U21 concede an average of more than 2,5 goals per away match all on their own.
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  D. Charles 6 goals |   S. Shoretire 4 goals | O. Afolayan 3 goals |
Bolton Wanderers missing players
Manchester United U21 missing players
| Bolton Wanderers | Manchester United U21 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 15 | Played | P | 19 | 25 | ||
| 12 | 9 | Won | W | 5 | 6 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Drew | D | 7 | 10 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Lost | L | 7 | 9 | ||
| 39 | 28 | Scored | S | 34 | 45 | ||
| 30 | 18 | Conceded | C | 37 | 56 | ||
| 88% | 93% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 89% | 92% | ||
| 72% | 80% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 89% | 92% | ||
| 52% | 60% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 84% | 84% | ||
| 36% | 40% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 58% | 64% | ||
| 24% | 27% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 32% | 40% | ||
| 52% | 60% | BTTS | BTTS | 74% | 80% | ||
| 32% | 33% | Clean Sheets | C S | 21% | 16% | ||
| 28% | 13% | Failed to Score | F T | 16% | 12% | ||
| 6 | 6.1 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 5.6 | 5.2 | ||
| 3.8 | 3.3 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.4 | 5.3 | ||
| 1.7 | 1.7 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.4 | 1.6 | ||
| 3 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 2 | 2 | ||
| 12.8 | 13.3 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 10.7 | 11.2 | ||
| 3.9 | 4.5 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.7 | 3.7 | ||
| 40% | 41% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 49% | 49% | ||
| 8.9 | 8 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 13.7 | 13.3 | ||
| 3.2 | 2.7 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 5.6 | 5.9 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Plymouth Argyle | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 43 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 20 | 42 |
| 3 | Sheffield Wednesday | 20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 36 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 41 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 32 |
| 5 | Peterborough United | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 35 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 10 | 31 |
| 6 | Derby County | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
| 7 | Barnsley | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 33 |
| 8 | Portsmouth | 17 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 26 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 29 |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 31 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 16 | -2 | 25 |
| 10 | Lincoln City | 19 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| 11 | Port Vale | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 18 | -8 | 29 |
| 12 | Shrewsbury Town | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | -3 | 26 |
| 13 | Wycombe Wanderers | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 28 |
| 14 | Exeter City | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 26 |
| 15 | Fleetwood Town | 20 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 23 |
| 16 | Charlton Athletic | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 30 | 27 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 24 |
| 17 | Oxford United | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 25 |
| 18 | Cheltenham Town | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 10 | -7 | 25 |
| 19 | Cambridge United | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 17 | -12 | 20 |
| 20 | Accrington Stanley | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 19 | 30 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | -11 | 21 |
| 21 | Forest Green Rovers | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 38 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 21 | -21 | 17 |
| 22 | Burton Albion | 20 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 41 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 22 | -15 | 15 |
| 23 | Morecambe | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | -15 | 15 |
| 24 | Milton Keynes Dons | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 18 | 30 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 11 | -12 | 15 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Arsenal U21 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 23 |
| 2 | Liverpool U21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 22 |
| 3 | Manchester City U21 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 21 |
| 4 | Chelsea U21 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 20 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace U21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| 6 | Fulham U21 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 19 |
| 7 | Everton U21 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 19 |
| 8 | Brighton U21 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 9 | Wolves U21 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 14 |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -9 | 10 |
| 11 | Manchester United U21 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 17 | -15 | 10 |
| 12 | Leicester U21 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -11 | 9 |
| 13 | West Ham United U21 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | -12 | 8 |
| 14 | Tottenham U21 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 17 | -18 | 6 |
