Salford (home)
- Salford have 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats from their last 10 (all competitions).
- Salford City have played the kind of soccer to test any team in England this season, and the way they have done that under boss Peter Cklamovski looks like it could pose some problems for Shrewsbury Town in this early-round EFL Cup clash.
- Salford are the strong favorites at 1.52, with Shrewsbury 6.2 and the draw 4.0, which means the market is anticipating a close match and not a rout.
- Salford's game is a high-tempo, front-foot pressing system that involves plenty of possession in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system, and it's produced plenty of goals at Peninsula Stadium this season.
- The Ammies' last result was a 3-2 home victory over Dundee United FC, but a 3-0 loss to Notts County the previous game does show that they are still prone to a bad day when the opposition gets on top.
- Salford have 9 goals in their last 5 home games, while Shrewsbury have scored just 1 on the road.
Shrewsbury (away)
- Shrewsbury have 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats from their last 5 (all competitions).
- Shrewsbury have been in poor form on their travels in all current competitions, going 5 games without a victory (D1, L4) and scoring just 1 goal.
- Gavin Cowan's team have tried to counter that with a defensive system based on a back-three, compact shape and fast counters through the wings.
- Shrewsbury have only scored once on their travels in all comps so far, so they may have to rely on set plays and second chances instead of flowing in the final third.
Head-to-Head
The Shrews did beat Salford 2-1 away from home in League Two last season, but the hosts have won two of the last three meetings between the teams and they come into this one with the better form and home advantage.
Key Players
Adebola Oluwo has been a spark for Salford, who have hit 9 goals in their last 5 home games , so he could be a difference-maker here.
Betting Insights
The odds and Shrews' system make a low-scoring contest the best value, so we're taking Under 2.5 goals & Both Teams To Score at around 1.95 and 1.9 .
Prediction
Shrewsbury's recent 1-0 defeat to Gillingham and 4-1 home loss to West Bromwich show that they are in a bad spot to come into this game, and Salford should edge it on home field.
