League Two outfit Harrogate Town welcome Championship side Blackburn Rovers to Wetherby Road in the second round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening.

The hosts claimed a 1-0 victory over Carlisle United in the first round, while the visitors came out on the right side of a seven-goal thriller with Walsall.

Match preview

Harrogate Town head into Wednesday's clash on the back of a 2-0 win against 10-man Morecambe, with Luke Armstrong and George Thomson grabbing the goals in a relatively-straightforward home win.

Thanks largely to Farrend Rawson's second-half red card, Harrogate finished the game with 59% possession and 16 shots, while the visitors managed to register a solitary attempt on target throughout the contest.

It would not be unfair to say that Harrogate have made an inconsistent start to the 2023-24 season, as Simon Weaver's men have recorded three wins and three losses across all competitions, keeping three clean sheets while also conceding six goals.

Following a 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on the opening weekend, the Sulphurites dispatched Carlisle in the EFL Cup before suffering three consecutive defeats in the league, falling to Forest Green Rovers, Tranmere Rovers and Accrington Stanley.

Since gaining promotion to the EFL in 2020, Harrogate have failed to make it to the third round of the EFL Cup in three attempts - and they will have to overcome Championship opposition to buck that trend this time around.

Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, claimed a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Watford last weekend, with Ryan Hedges scoring the only goal of the game midway through the second half.

Despite facing a barrage of 24 shots while seeing just 34% of the ball, the visitors managed to weather the storm and leave Vicarage Road with all three points, picking up their second victory in four Championship matches in the process.

Managed by former AC Milan and Newcastle United striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, Blackburn have taken seven points from a possible 12 in the league this term, having agonisingly missed out on last season's playoffs on goal difference.

Three weeks ago, Rovers came from behind on two occasions to rescue a wild 4-3 win against Walsall in the first round of the EFL Cup, with the Championship side racking up 75% possession and 13 shots against the League Two outfit.

Blackburn won the EFL Cup back in 2002 but have failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of the previous 11 seasons, falling in the second round on four occasions since 2012.

Team News

Simon Weaver will be tempted to stick with the same XI that started Saturday's 2-0 win against Morecambe, meaning that Luke Armstrong should lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

George Thomson, Samuel Folarin and James Daly are expected to operate behind the lone striker, with Josh Falkingham and Levi Sutton sitting in front of the back four.

Blackburn, on the other hand, look set to be without midfielder Arnor Sigurdsson and forward Jack Vale due to injury, although defender Harry Pickering is available after serving a red card suspension.

Jon Dahl Tomasson is expected to match Harrogate's 4-2-3-1 formation, with 19-year-old striker Harry Leonard leading the line for the visitors.

Tyrhys Dolan, Sammie Szmodics and Ryan Hedges will likely offer attacking support to Leonard, while Joe Rankin-Costello, Hayden Carter, Dominic Hyam and Callum Brittain should make up the back four.

Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Oxley; Sims, O'Connor, McDonald, Foulds; Falkingham, Sutton; Thomson, Folarin, Daly; Armstrong

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Brittain; Travis, Wharton; Hedges, Szmodics, Dolan; Leonard

We say: Harrogate Town 0-3 Blackburn Rovers

Given the gulf in quality between the Championship and League Two, we expect Blackburn to flex their muscles and claim a convincing victory over Harrogate.

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