Stockport County
- Dave Challinor’s men have a very different style and have the promotion-winning expertise to see them through to the next round, providing the bet on a home win at odds-on is a good one.
- The Hatters can adapt to a back-three or back-four system and have the tempo and pressing game to make life difficult for the visitors.
- Ben Osborn controls the midfield tempo and is always a threat from corners, while Louie Barry has been a consistent goal threat.
- Adama Sidibeh and other forwards have all chipped in with goals recently, so the hosts should always have a threat in the game.
Stevenage
- The Hatters have been more consistent than the visitors all season long, but Stevenage’s recent form is solid, with two wins, two draws and just one defeat from the last five fixtures.
- Back-to-back 1-0 wins over Barnsley and a 1-5 drubbing at the hands of Bolton make it hard to assess which side shows up on Wednesday.
- Alex Revell has moulded this side into a disciplined defensive unit that can grind out wins when necessary, while being dangerous in transition and from set pieces.
- Carl Piergianni anchors the defense and is a danger from set-pieces, while Jamie Reid provides a focal point to Stevenage’s attacking play.
Head-to-Head
- Stevenage have won five of the last eight meetings with Stockport in League One (D1, L2)
- Stockport County have won two of the last eight league meetings, with the most recent coming in April 2025 (3 - 0)
Stevenage
Carl Piergianni anchors the defense and is a danger from set-pieces, while Jamie Reid provides a focal point to Stevenage’s attacking play.
Stockport County
Ben Osborn controls the midfield tempo and is always a threat from corners, while Louie Barry has been a consistent goal threat.
Betting Insights
- There should be few clear chances in the match, but Stockport’s attacking options give them the edge as slight favorites at 1.98.
- However, Stevenage’s home defensive record is among the best in the league so we recommend under 2.5 goals as our main bet at a similar price (1.85).
Prediction
It is unlikely that either of these teams will be too adventurous for the first leg and we predict a cagey encounter that could be decided by a moment of magic.
