Walsall and Swindon Town will lock horns at Bescot Stadium in their EFL League Two season opener on Saturday. Eight spots separated them in the table last term, but both teams come into this clash off the back of impressive preseasons and will look to carry that form into the new campaign.
Walsall finished fourth in League Two last season and just missed out on promotion to League One following a 1-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the play-off final. Manager Matthew Sadler will be keen to have another shot at the playoffs and will target a strong start on Saturday.
The good news for Walsall is that they have been solid in preseason, picking up four wins from their five matches. They claimed a 3-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers in their final warm-up game.
Swindon Town finished 12th in the league last season and failed to win any of their final three matches. However, they were better on their travels and went unbeaten in their final three matches in League Two last term.
Like the hosts, Swindon Town have enjoyed a solid preseason, winning four of their last five matches. They came from two goals down to earn a 3-2 victory at Eastleigh in their final friendly game.
How the bookies view it: Upper hand for Walsall
Walsall have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 23/20 by BoyleSports to claim the win. A victory for Swindon Town is valued at 19/10 while a draw is set at odds of 12/5.
Head to Head: Slight edge for Swindon
Swindon Town have a 13-12 advantage with 10 draws from 35 previous matches against Walsall. Both teams won the away clash last season, with the hosts winning 4-0 in the first meeting between while the visitors triumphed 1-0 in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch: Eyes on Smith
Harry Smith led Swindon with 15 league goals last season, and the striker will look to continue that form this term. He will have support from Paul Glatzel, and both men can produce over 0.5 goals – valued at 3/10 with BoyleSports.
Jamille Matt should carry most of the offensive responsibilities for Walsall this season, having found the net 12 times last term. Aaron Pressley is also expected to feature in attack, and both men can combine to produce over 0.5 goals – set at odds of 1/4.
Probable line-ups:
Myles Roberts should rightly get the nod in goal, with Rico Browne, Connor Barrett, and Aden Flint also being a part of the starting XI. Jamie Jellis and Brandon Comley should play in midfield while Matt is tasked with getting the goals.
For Swindon, Captain Oliver Clarke is expected to lead the team from the midfield, with Connor Ripley in goal. New signing Filozofe Mabete should get the nod in defence alongside Finley Munroe, while Smith spearheads the attack.
Walsall: Roberts, Browne, Burke, Flint, Barrett, Comley, Jellis, Lakin, Hancock, Pressley, Matt
Swindon: Ripley, Mabete, Oldaker, Munroe, Ameen, Kilkenny, Snowdon, Tabor, Nichols, Smith, Glatzel
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in Swindon’s last three matches (BTTS YES – 4/6 with BoyleSports). All three fixtures have produced over 2.5 goals – available at 5/6.
Two of the last three matches between both teams have produced more goals after the break (Second half most goals – offered at Evens).
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