Harrogate made a dream start to life in the EFL at the weekend and will now be eyeing a cup upset at Premier League new boys West Brom. Town were promoted through the National League play-offs last month and have started the new season with four successive away games in three different competitions.
Burton pulled off an EFL Cup shock over Aston Villa on their way to the semi-finals in 2018/19 and will fancy their chances of a repeat on Tuesday night. Jake Buxton was part of the playing squad back then and now aims to take down Dean Smith’s side as a manager.
Birmingham finished 31 points below Brentford in the Championship last season but maintained a good head-to-head record against the Bees. City took four points from two tight tussles, having picked up a couple of draws during the previous campaign’s hard-fought encounters.
Kansas City and Houston were involved in a couple of high-scoring thrillers last term but replicating those classic contests will be tough. It is always easier for defences to prepare for a new NFL season and that should be even more apparent after a summer of disruptions this year.
Nations League holders Portugal look fired up to try and retain their title and are taken to edge out a spirited but limited Sweden side in Stockholm. The Navigators kicked off their campaign with a convincing victory over Croatia, while their hosts were beaten by France at Friends Arena.
Belgium have won all 11 previous encounters with Iceland and are expected to continue that trend in Tuesday night’s Nations League clash. The Red Devils prevailed 2-0 and 3-0 when these teams met in the inaugural staging of this competition and remain in red-hot form for this renewal.
Edin Dzeko helped Bosnia and Herzegovina to draw in Italy on Friday and could prove the difference in Monday’s clash with Poland. The visitors are without Robert Lewandowski for their first two Nations League fixtures and missed the Bayern Munich hot-shot when losing away to Holland.
For most football fans, their favourite players’ first match of the new season will actually be for their countries rather than their clubs. The second iteration of the UEFA Nations League kicked off this week with a revised format, so we’ve broken it down to work out what’s likely to happen.
Italy beat Bosnia and Herzegovina twice in Euro 2020 qualifying and can confirm that superiority in Friday’s Nations League clash in Florence. Roberto Mancini has helped the Azzurri to rebuild after missing out on the last World Cup and seems keen to maintain a winning mentality.
Aberdeen’s players appear to have come together through adversity and we’re backing them to battle for a draw at high-flying Hibernian. The hosts have only dropped two points from five Scottish Premiership matches but recent evidence suggests they may be flattered by a lofty position.
After being reduced to a fringe player at Manchester United, we’re tracking the latest Jesse Lingard transfer news to see if a move is on the cards. The 27-year-old has been at Old Trafford for all of his career but may now need to look further afield to receive more time on the pitch.
Hamilton ended a run of seven straight losses to Rangers when securing a surprise 1-0 Scottish Premiership success at Ibrox in March. In fact, the Accies have managed to score in three consecutive encounters with the Light Blues and are rated a value bet to keep that run going.
Celtic enjoyed a fine Champions League victory over KR Reykjavik in midweek and are also expected to ease past Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership. The Terrors have shown great spirit since returning to the top flight but we fear this clash may provide them with a reality check.
While the Premier League grabs the lion’s share of the football headlines in England, there are more than three times as many professional clubs below the top flight with stories of their own to tell. To celebrate those working away from the limelight, we’ve ranked the top 20 managers based on their achievements with EFL clubs.