Bristol Rovers vs Cambridge United - prediction, team news, lineups

The oldest shot contention successful the world gets underway aboriginal this week for clubs crossed the English Football League, with League Two broadside Bristol Rovers welcoming third-tier Cambridge United to the Memorial Stadium successful the FA Cup archetypal round.

The Gas are presently enduring a seven-game winless tally successful each competitions and look a U's broadside managed by Neil Harris, who saw his squad thrash Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s 6-0 successful the EFL Trophy earlier this week.

Match preview

Hoping to scope the 2nd circular of the FA Cup for the 2nd consecutive campaign, Bristol Rovers caput into Friday night's brushwood without a triumph since beating Exeter City 1-0 successful September.

Steve Evans, who is approaching 1 twelvemonth successful complaint of Bristol Rovers, guided the Gas to a mid-table decorativeness past play aft overseeing a nine-game unbeaten tally to extremity the campaign, though they were incapable to equine a superior situation for the playoff places.

Their encouraging signifier towards the extremity of past play initially carried into the 2026-27 campaign, with Rovers sitting 3rd successful League Two astatine the extremity of September aft winning 5 of their opening 8 matches.

However, since closing retired that period with a constrictive triumph implicit the Grecians, Evans's broadside person endured a miserable October, suffering defeats to Barnet, Shrewsbury Town, Salford City and Fleetwood Town.

That mediocre tally has seen the Gas autumn retired of the automatic promotion places and descent to 17th successful the table, with their 16 points leaving them conscionable 4 wide of the relegation zone.

Returning to the Memorial Stadium for the archetypal clip since their goalless gully with Swindon Town, Rovers volition anticipation immoderate FA Cup magic tin assistance extremity their three-game winless tally astatine location and rediscover the signifier that saw them acceptable a club-record 11 consecutive victories connected their ain turf.

As for Cambridge United, they participate the FA Cup arsenic a League One broadside for the archetypal clip since 2024, having secured an contiguous instrumentality to the 3rd tier past play by finishing 3rd successful League Two with 82 points.

Under erstwhile Millwall and Gillingham manager Harris, the U's person adapted good to beingness backmost successful League One and presently beryllium conscionable 1 constituent extracurricular the playoff places, having collected 21 points from 5 wins, six draws and 3 defeats.

Despite their encouraging start, Cambridge are without a league triumph successful 4 matches, with draws against Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday coming alongside defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Leyton Orient.

However, pursuing their nonaccomplishment astatine Brisbane Road to adjacent retired October, the U's returned to winning ways successful emphatic manner earlier this week, securing progression from Southern Group G successful the EFL Trophy with a 6-0 demolition of Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s astatine Cledara Abbey Stadium wherever Callum Stead scored doubly successful the convincing victory, portion the visitors besides had a subordinate sent off.

With nary league fixture for much than 2 weeks, Harris volition beryllium keen for his broadside to physique connected that momentum by reaching the 2nd circular of the FA Cup earlier turning their attraction backmost to League One, wherever Cambridge volition besides beryllium looking to chopped down connected the fig of draws that person hindered their progress, having shared the points much often than immoderate different broadside successful the division.

The sides past met successful the FA Cup successful December 1971, erstwhile the Pirates claimed a 3-0 triumph implicit Cambridge successful the 2nd round.

Bristol Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Cambridge United signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Having faced a Fleetwood Town broadside who produced a daze triumph implicit Arsenal successful the EFL Cup conscionable days earlier, Bristol Rovers could sanction an unchanged starting XI, provided determination are nary caller wounded concerns.

Captain Alfie Kilgour is expected to stay astatine the bosom of a backmost three, flanked by Keenan Gough and Irish defender Ciaran Kelly.

Club apical scorer Fabrizio Cavegn should pb the line, portion Jack Sparkes is apt to clasp his spot successful midfield.

Cambridge, meanwhile, are expected to marque respective changes to the broadside that featured successful the EFL Trophy during the week, though Harris could inactive manus opportunities to fringe players against absorption from the part below.

Jake Eastwood has been the U's first-choice goalkeeper this play but could marque mode for 22-year-old Gabriel Breeze, who kept a cleanable expanse against Brighton's younker broadside connected Tuesday night.

Ben Knight was absent from the squad for that EFL Trophy triumph but could instrumentality to the attack, with erstwhile Barnet guardant Stead expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again.

Bristol Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Young; Gough, Kilgour, Kelly; James, Smallwood, Mola, Sparkes; Forde, Cavegn, Appiah

Cambridge United imaginable starting lineup:

Breeze; Heffernan, Watts, Perry; Bennett, Hoddle, McLoughlin, Bradshaw; Knight, Stead, Heath

We say: Bristol Rovers 0-3 Cambridge United

Although neither broadside enjoyed a peculiarly awesome October, Cambridge volition instrumentality assurance from their emphatic EFL Trophy triumph earlier this week.

We expect the quality successful league positions to beryllium decisive connected Friday night, with the visitors securing a comfy triumph to advancement to the 2nd circular of the FA Cup.

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