Perhaps a welcome break from league football as Tranmere Rovers & Leicester U21 face off to decide who makes it to next stage of the EFL Trophy. All the pre-match information is available here!
The hosts Tranmere saw competitive action as recent as three days ago, playing in the FA Cup. That game was an away game at Barnsley, so at least Tranmere are thankful to return home in this one. Game on!
Tranmere Rovers form and stats
Tranmere have not come this way in the EFL Trophy without some hard work on the way, more precisely defeating Manchester City U21, Liverpool U21, Port Vale and Wigan Athletic. Tranmere Rovers participated in EFL Trophy the last season, where they reached the 3rd round.Tranmere Rovers have played 9 League Two games at their own stadium so far this season, resulting in 4-0-5 (wins-draws-losses). 2W-2D-0L is the hard facts regardless of venue in the EFL Trophy for Tranmere Rovers. The Tranmere manager K. Hill might feel some added pressure to get something from this game after two straight home defeats.
Tranmere Rovers lost their last game at Barnsley after a 0-2 scoreline. Preceding that game was the away draw at Barrow that finished 1-1.
The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Tranmere Rovers have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found 16 matches with the results: Won five, drawn three and lost eight.
Tranmere are traveling soon after this match as the League Two match at Stevenage awaits in three days.
Tranmere has scored 11 league goals at home this season, in 9 matches. It's worth mentioning that 7 of these goals has been scored in their last three home matches. 9 goals have been conceded. It's worth mentioning that 5 of these goals has been conceded in their last 3 home matches.
Leicester U21 form and stats
The traveling awayteam has defeated Salford City, Harrogate Town, Hull City and Grimsby Town in order to reach 3rd Round of EFL Trophy. Leicester was sent out of EFL Trophy in the quarter-finals last season.The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Leicester U21 so far with only 6 points returning home. The records show 2-0-9 (win-draw-lose). Total EFL Trophy statistics for Leicester U21: 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. With two straight losses from their last two away games, Leicester are hoping that it's time for some travel points again.
Leicester U21 has to pack their bags again for the second away game in a row. Last time they traveled to Salford City (after extra-time, 5-6 on penalties) for a EFL Trophy game that ended a draw (3-3). Preceding that game was the away EFL Trophy victory against Grimsby Town with the score of 3-1.
The match against Salford City (after extra-time, 5-6 on penalties) looked like a defeat for Leicester, but they did not accept the outcome and clawed their way back to 3-3. S. Flynn equalized in the 83rd minute. As you can tell from the result, the match against Salford City (after extra-time, 5-6 on penalties) was as crazy as a clown in a village circus. Great fun for the neutral supporter with 6 goals, will the fun continue today?
So, this is expected to be a close game, an even contest. Looking at earlier matches with Leicester U21 playing away and similar expectations, we found six relevant matches. Results were two Leicester wins, two draws and two defeats.
Leicester have a decent goal production going in their away games, although not fantastic. In 11 league away games 13 goals have been scored. It's worth mentioning that 7 of these goals has been scored in their last three away matches. The opposition has been scoring high and low on Leicester's goalkeeper in away games this season, as they have let in 31 goals in 11 travels.
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  J. Vaughan 10 goals |  P. Clarke 3 goals | K. Morris 3 goals |
Tranmere Rovers missing players
Leicester U21 missing players
| Tranmere Rovers | Leicester U21 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 14 | Played | P | 20 | 25 | ||
| 12 | 8 | Won | W | 8 | 10 | ||
| 4 | 1 | Drew | D | 5 | 5 | ||
| 9 | 5 | Lost | L | 7 | 10 | ||
| 33 | 21 | Scored | S | 33 | 38 | ||
| 33 | 15 | Conceded | C | 34 | 41 | ||
| 96% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | ||
| 64% | 64% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 90% | 88% | ||
| 48% | 50% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 85% | 80% | ||
| 32% | 29% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 40% | 32% | ||
| 16% | 14% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 10% | 8% | ||
| 32% | 36% | BTTS | BTTS | 80% | 68% | ||
| 36% | 36% | Clean Sheets | C S | 10% | 12% | ||
| 36% | 29% | Failed to Score | F T | 10% | 20% | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1.1 | 0.9 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 0.7 | 0.7 | ||
| 1 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9.8 | 9.4 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 9.3 | 9.3 | ||
| 3.1 | 3 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.9 | 3.9 | ||
| 42% | 50% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 44% | 44% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Carlisle United | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 39 |
| 2 | Newport County | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 31 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 38 |
| 3 | Forest Green Rovers | 22 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 28 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 38 |
| 4 | Cambridge United | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 21 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 37 |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 21 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 35 |
| 6 | Crawley Town | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 6 | 34 |
| 7 | Morecambe | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 17 | -3 | 34 |
| 8 | Salford City | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 33 |
| 9 | Leyton Orient | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 33 |
| 10 | Exeter City | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 40 | 26 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 31 |
| 11 | Walsall | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 30 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 16 | -3 | 30 |
| 12 | Colchester United | 21 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 27 | 29 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 19 | -2 | 29 |
| 13 | Port Vale | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 32 | 33 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 19 | -1 | 28 |
| 14 | Tranmere Rovers | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 16 | -2 | 28 |
| 15 | Oldham Athletic | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 34 | 38 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 18 | -4 | 28 |
| 16 | Mansfield Town | 22 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 25 | 33 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 17 | -8 | 26 |
| 18 | Harrogate Town | 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 26 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | -4 | 25 |
| 19 | Bradford City | 21 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | -5 | 24 |
| 20 | Scunthorpe United | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 32 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 15 | -10 | 23 |
| 21 | Barrow | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 16 | -3 | 20 |
| 22 | Stevenage | 20 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 14 | -6 | 20 |
| 23 | Grimsby Town | 23 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 40 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 22 | -21 | 20 |
| 24 | Southend United | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 17 | -19 | 19 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Manchester United U21 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 44 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 25 | 48 |
| 2 | Sunderland U21 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 38 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 10 | 18 | 43 |
| 3 | Everton U21 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 35 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 37 |
| 4 | Manchester City U21 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 34 |
| 5 | Chelsea U21 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 33 |
| 6 | Southampton U21 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 39 | 40 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 25 | -1 | 30 |
| 7 | Liverpool U21 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 26 | 37 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 19 | -11 | 28 |
| 8 | Tottenham U21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 44 | 43 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 1 | 27 |
| 9 | Reading U21 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 40 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 20 | -6 | 27 |
| 10 | Leicester U21 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 48 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 31 | -23 | 21 |
| 11 | Middlesbrough U21 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 20 | -4 | 20 |
| 12 | Norwich City U21 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 50 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 28 | -20 | 19 |