Burton Albion host Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup, with a place in round two at stake. CheckLive favour the home side at 57 per cent, but that comes with medium signal strength, so the edge is modest rather than decisive. This is a close-looking cup tie, and a draw is a genuine possibility.
Burton's recent form is mixed: they beat Derby County 1-0, drew with Solihull Moors and Alfreton Town, and lost to Birmingham City and Leicester City in friendly games. Blackburn drew 1-1 with Huddersfield Town, beat Strasbourg 2-0, drew with Accrington Stanley, and lost to Nottingham Forest and Leicester City; the latter was their only competitive outing among the five listed. Neither side arrives with a strong run of results behind them.
The head-to-head record shows no previous meetings between the two clubs, so there is little historical form to lean on. With Burton only slightly favoured and both teams still finding rhythm, the key thing to watch is which side adapts better to the demands of a competitive cup tie.
