Cambridge United vs Braintree Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Cambridge United volition instrumentality connected Braintree Town successful a behind-closed-doors affable connected Monday afternoon.

The U's are preparing for their instrumentality to League One, portion Braintree are gathering up for the 2025-26 National League South campaign. 

Match preview

After suffering relegation successful 2024-25, Cambridge secured an contiguous instrumentality to the 3rd tier nether the tutelage of Neil Harris.

The U's clinched the 3rd and last automatic promotion spot aft collecting 82 points from 46 League Two games. 

Cambridge person truthful acold made 4 caller additions up of the caller season, including the imperishable signings of Patrick Bauer, Callum Stead and Isaac Heath.

Meanwhile, connected the pitch, the U's person started their pre-season docket with victories implicit Cambridge City and Southend United. 

Like Saturday's clash with Southend, Monday's gathering with Braintree volition instrumentality spot down closed doors, with the U's looking to beat The Iron for a 3rd consecutive twelvemonth aft signaling 3-0 affable victories successful 2024 and 2025.

Cambridge volition past wrapper up their pre-season with matches against Preston North End, Northampton Town and Norwich City, earlier they footwear disconnected their run with an EFL Cup against Barnet. 

Braintree, meanwhile, are backmost competing successful the sixth tier of the English shot pyramid aft their two-season enactment successful the National League came to an extremity past term.

The Iron finished successful 23rd spot and 10 points adrift of information aft mustering conscionable 36 points from 46 games past term. 

Braintree brag Steve Pitt faces an uphill task successful starring a promotion bid, fixed his squad is abbreviated connected numbers aft the nine were placed nether a transportation embargo successful May. 

The club's struggles person been reflected successful the three-game winless commencement to pre-season, which began with a 2-2 gully against Brightlingsea.

The Iron past suffered a 3-2 decision against Welling United earlier they experienced a repetition of that scoreline successful Saturday's constrictive nonaccomplishment to Aveley. 

They volition beryllium hoping to drawstring immoderate affirmative results unneurotic successful their last 4 friendlies, arsenic they look to physique momentum up of their National League South lucifer against Tonbridge Angels.

Cambridge United Club friendlies form:

W W

Braintree Town friendlies form:

D L L

Team News

Jake Eastwood is apt to commencement successful betwixt the posts, though Ben Hughes could beryllium fixed minutes astatine immoderate constituent successful the friendly.

Kell Watts, Mamadou Jobe and Patrick Bauer could look successful the backline if Harris opts for a backmost three. 

At the other extremity of the pitch, Louis Appere, who scored 7 goals past term, could beryllium fixed the motion to pb the line, astatine slightest for the archetypal play of a affable that should spot plentifulness of substitutions. 

As for the visitors, they are apt to tract a fig of trialists, with a goalkeeper expected to beryllium among them, fixed determination is nary shot-stopper signed to the first-team squad. 

The right-back spot is besides acceptable to beryllium filled by a triallist, portion Jacob Mensah, Ange Dadja and Fin Adams could marque up the remainder of the backmost four. 

Anisius Lewis whitethorn beryllium fixed the accidental to pb the line, though Alfie Matthews and Jamie Bennett are some options for the centre-forward spot. 

Cambridge United imaginable starting lineup:

Eastwood; Watts, Bauer, Jobe; Bennett, Mpanzu, Ball, Heath; Lavery, Kaikai; Appere

Braintree Town imaginable starting lineup:

Trialist; Trialist, Mensah, Ange Dadja, Adams; Al Lewis, Swann; Senior, Johnson, Hubbard; An Lewis

We say: Cambridge United 3-0 Braintree Town

With Braintree moving with a bladed squad, we deliberation they volition conflict to vie against a Cambridge broadside that contains EFL quality, which is wherefore we judge the U's volition tally retired comfy winners connected Monday. 

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