National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Swindon Town or Colchester United that keep their silverware dream alive.
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Swindon Town form and stats
Swindon have reached this EFL Trophy stage through battling and winning against Arsenal U21, Plymouth Argyle and Newport County. Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the group stage.2-4-3 (win-draw-lost) are the League Two numbers at home for Swindon Town so far this season. This match is a EFL Trophy match, and the hometeam has the total statistics 3 wins, 0 draws and 0 losses in this competition.
A draw after 90 minutes last time out for Swindon, who played 1-1 against Harrogate Town. That match was also played at this venue (The County Ground). Jack Payne (midfield was the top team player in that game with a rating of 7.42/10. Payne scored one goal, hit three key passes and dribled past the opponent 3 of 5 times.
Previous to that game, a League Two home match hosting Hartlepool United in a game that was won 3-1.The manager B. Garner will start preparations for the next game as soon this is finished, as the hosts are going to Walsall in only four days.
Swindon are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 10 goals in 9 games. 11 goals have been conceded.
Colchester United form and stats
The traveling awayteam has defeated Ipswich Town, West Ham United U21 and Gillingham in order to reach 2nd round of EFL Trophy. Last season their EFL Trophy adventure ended in the group stage.The story so far for the visiting team on their League Two travels is 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. The mentioned statistics is only from the league, looking at the EFL Trophy stats, they have 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss both home and away. Three consecutive losses in away matches means Colchester are growing more and more desperate for a good performance on the road.
Colchester's last game ended in a draw, the home match versus Newport County that finished 1-1. Jake Turner had red hot gloves after the game against Newport County, shaping the outcome of the game with nine saves made. Jake Turner (goalkeeper) was the best performer with a rating of 8.73. Turner stopped the opponent with nine saves.
That result followed a home victory 3-1 versus Exeter City in the League Two.Many goals are not expected from the visiting Colchester as they have only managed to score 6 times from 8 away games in the league. As opposed to that, Colchester United have seen the ball go into their own net 10 times on the road.
Head 2 Head
Statistics for the previous ten meetings involving these two contenders are: two wins for Swindon, two draws and six wins for Colchester United. Over 2,5 goals: seven times; under 2,5 goals: three games.Top Goalscorers
  J. Payne 8 goals | T. Simpson 7 goals |   F. Sears 7 goals |
Swindon Town missing players
Colchester United missing players
| Swindon Town | Colchester United | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 12 | Played | P | 12 | 25 | ||
| 13 | 4 | Won | W | 3 | 7 | ||
| 7 | 4 | Drew | D | 5 | 9 | ||
| 5 | 4 | Lost | L | 4 | 9 | ||
| 37 | 13 | Scored | S | 11 | 25 | ||
| 22 | 13 | Conceded | C | 12 | 28 | ||
| 88% | 83% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 75% | 88% | ||
| 68% | 58% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 58% | 60% | ||
| 52% | 50% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 33% | 32% | ||
| 28% | 25% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 17% | 20% | ||
| 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 8% | 8% | ||
| 60% | 58% | BTTS | BTTS | 33% | 44% | ||
| 32% | 33% | Clean Sheets | C S | 33% | 24% | ||
| 20% | 25% | Failed to Score | F T | 58% | 44% | ||
| 5.1 | 5.5 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.4 | 4.6 | ||
| 5.2 | 5.5 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.2 | 5.5 | ||
| 1.7 | 1.9 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 2 | 1.7 | ||
| 1 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 3 | ||
| 13.1 | 13.5 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 11.5 | 10.9 | ||
| 5 | 5.4 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 2.9 | 3.2 | ||
| 32% | 22% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 31% | 31% | ||
| 10.8 | 12.1 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 14.8 | 13.9 | ||
| 3.9 | 3.9 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 4.2 | 4.2 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Forest Green Rovers | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 20 | 40 |
| 2 | Northampton Town | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 34 |
| 3 | Exeter City | 19 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 31 | 21 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 33 |
| 4 | Swindon Town | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 33 |
| 5 | Port Vale | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 32 |
| 6 | Sutton United | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 28 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 32 |
| 7 | Harrogate Town | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 30 |
| 8 | Leyton Orient | 19 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| 9 | Newport County | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 28 |
| 10 | Tranmere Rovers | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 26 |
| 11 | Salford City | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 24 |
| 12 | Bradford City | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 25 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 24 |
| 13 | Rochdale | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 24 |
| 14 | Walsall | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | -2 | 24 |
| 15 | Mansfield Town | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 25 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 13 | -4 | 23 |
| 16 | Bristol Rovers | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 22 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 15 | -7 | 23 |
| 17 | Hartlepool United | 19 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 20 | -10 | 23 |
| 18 | Colchester United | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -6 | 21 |
| 19 | Crawley Town | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 12 | -8 | 21 |
| 20 | Barrow | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | -4 | 19 |
| 21 | Stevenage | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 20 | -15 | 18 |
| 22 | Carlisle United | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -15 | 16 |
| 23 | Oldham Athletic | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 30 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 | -14 | 15 |
| 24 | Scunthorpe United | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 20 | -20 | 14 |