Fulham will be aiming to continue their progress in the EFL Cup as they travel to Championship side Preston North End for a third round clash. The Cottagers will be relying on their superior quality and should be too strong for Preston, who have found things difficult lately.
Preston North End have come through the two previous rounds of the League Cup and were particularly impressive last time out. They claimed a 5-0 victory at Harrogate in the second round with Milutin Osmajic netting a hat-trick.
The League Cup has served as a welcome distraction for Preston North End, who have struggled in the Championship and are sitting near the bottom of the table. Paul Heckingbottom’s men are winless in two matches since beating Harrogate, suffering one defeat and playing out a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough in a Championship fixture last Saturday.
Fulham claimed a 2-0 victory over League One side Birmingham City to reach the third round. Early first half goals from Raul Jimenez and Jay Stansfield were enough to earn them the win.
Since losing at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League, Fulham have looked a different side. Marco Silva’s men are unbeaten in their last four matches, claiming two wins in that run.
How the bookies view it: Win for Fulham
Fulham have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 8/11 by Betfred to claim the win. Preston North are considered outsiders, with a home win priced at 100/30 while Betfred is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head: Fulham have the advantage
Fulham have an 11-9 advantage with six draws from 26 previous matches against Preston North End. The Cottagers are unbeaten in the last seven meetings, claiming four wins in that run, including a 3-0 victory in a Championship fixture back in 2022.
Players to watch: Jimenez to fire Fulham
Jimenez appears to be regaining his scoring touch having found the net in the previous round of the League Cup and once again last weekend. With Emile Smith-Rowe providing support, the Cottagers could be backed to produce over 1.5 goals at 4/5 with Betfred.
Preston North End have also shown some attacking verve this season, with Osmajic netting a hat-trick in the previous round. The forward should be supported by Mads Frøkjaer-Jensen and Sam Greenwood and can help the hosts produce over 0.5 goals at 1/2 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Osmajic was a second half substitute for Preston North End on Saturday and could be set for a start on Tuesday. Joshua Bowler could also be included from the start while Greenwood and Frøkjaer-Jensen should continue in attack.
Fulham are likely to ring in the changes with Tom Cariney, Reiss Nelson and Sander Berge all pushing to start. Raul Jimenez should feature in attack while Joachim Anderson is expected to continue in defence.
Preston North End: Woodman, Potts, Storey, Whatmough, Hughes, Whiteman, McConnell, Bowler, Frøkjaer-Jensen, Greenwood, Osmajic
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Anderson, Bassey, Robinson, Berge, Cairney, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Traore, Jimenez
Anything else catch the eye?
Preston North End and Fulham have quality in attack and both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 5/6 while Betfred is also offering 9/4 for over 3.5 goals.
Fulham are expected to claim the upper hand here and could be backed to score in both halves at 7/4 with Betfred. The second half could also be tipped to produce more goals at 11/10 with Betfred.
This EFL Cup match between Preston North End and Fulham will be played on Sep 17, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Preston North End vs Fulham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
