The fixtures fall thick and fast in the last weeks before Christmas and for our Goals Galore tips, we have picked out matches from the EFL Trophy last 16 to make up a fourfold worth 5.5/1.
Goals Galore Tips:
Cheltenham Town vs Chelsea U21
Lincoln City vs Everton U21
Burton Albion vs Accrington Stanley
Portsmouth vs Stevenage
Fourfold @ 5.5/1
Cheltenham Town vs Chelsea U21
We begin our picks with a clash in Gloucestershire that pits Cheltenham Town against Chelsea’s young prospects. No U21 team has truly made a mark on the EFL Trophy since youth teams were added into the mix, but that could all change this year with a bright Blues crop.
Chelsea U21 came past Peterborough 4-2 at London Road last time out in the competition and have not lost a game since August when they were undone 1-0 by Sutton after picking up a red card. All 11 of their games since then have seen them score at least one, though they have picked up only four clean sheets in that time – none of which came in their three EFL Trophy ties.
Lincoln City vs Everton U21
Lincoln have come up against Everton’s youth side once before in the competition, running out 2-1 winners five years ago. The signs suggest both teams are on track to find the net again, not least given Everton’s 7-2 win over Colchester on their last assignment in the competition. Only once in 13 games have the Toffees’ U21 side failed to find the net.
Lincoln have laboured slightly of late, falling to a draw against Wycombe and a loss at Shrewsbury, but the Imps are unbeaten in eight at home and will be doing their utmost to preserve that run of form. The cup competition represents a key opportunity to provide a boost as they prepare to chase the League One play-offs.
Burton Albion vs Accrington Stanley
Two third-tier strugglers meet at the Pirelli Stadium as both Burton and Accrington vie to kick some life into their seasons in the form of a morale-boosting cup run. The pair are threatened by relegation to the fourth division, with Albion, 22nd, in a particularly precarious position.
However, they find themselves in a dogfight not due to their lack of goals, but because of an inability to stop conceding.
While they have outscored two of the teams in the play-off places with their 27 goals, Burton have conceded a mammoth 42, making finding the net a necessity in order to stay afloat. That has worked well in recent weeks, given Albion have scored in all of their last 13 matches – losing just twice.
While Accrington’s scoring record is more befitting of a bottom-half team, they too have found the net in all of their last four matches, winning three, and in six of their past seven.
Portsmouth vs Stevenage
Portsmouth are harbouring aspirations of a long-awaited return to the Championship and with the league firmly the priority, they will have been relieved to learn that the draw had pitted them against League Two opposition, even if it does mean they take on an in-form Stevenage on Tuesday night.
The south coast unit have impressed, eighth in the division despite having played up to three games fewer than the sides above them, and should be able to re-find their rhythm against a lower-ranked outfit after falling to a loss against Wycombe last time out.
Stevenage, however, will fancy their own chances of making the quarter-finals and after failing to score for the first time in 18 matches against Mansfield on Saturday – a 0-0 draw – they won’t be intending to slip again.
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