Carling Cup preview B-M

Second-round ties serve up potential banana skins

Last updated: 24th August 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Carling Cup preview B-M

Allardyce: Norwich challenge

Click below for individual match facts and previews:

Blackburn v Norwich
Bradford v Preston
Brentford v Hull
Crewe v Ipswich
Hartlepool v Wigan
Leeds v Leicester
Leyton Orient v West Brom
Millwall v Middlesbrough
MK Dons v Blackpool
Morecambe v Burnley

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The Carling Cup resumes with 21 second-round fixtures on Tuesday night, let's run down the games B-M.

Perhaps the most intriguing tie is Blackburn against Norwich at Ewood Park, as the Premier League side look to fend off the challenge from the Championship outfit.

The Canaries ran away with the League One title last term and have made a promising start to life in the second-tier - but Sam Allardyce will view the cup as a potential chance for silverware and if Rovers are up for it, this could be an interesting affair.

Another top-flight team looking to avoid an upset at the hands of lower league opposition is West Brom, as they take on Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.

The Baggies picked up their first win of the campaign on Saturday with a 1-0 triumph over Sunderland, but will have to be wary of League One Orient.

Wigan have had a terrible start to the season after conceding 10 goals and scoring none in their first two games, and they face a potential banana skin when they go to Hartlepool.

Roberto Martinez will be desperate for a confidence-boosting win against the north-east side, and a defeat would signal serious problems at the DW Stadium.

Blackpool are one of the teams who so easily dispatched of the Latics, although they were soundly beaten 6-0 by Arsenal in their last game.

The Tangerines travel to MK Dons and will be confident of a result as the Dons were thrashed 4-1 by Carlisle at the weekend.

Leeds United host Leicester in an all-Championship fixture at Elland Road, with the Foxes still licking their wounds from a disappointing 3-0 reverse at Burnley on Saturday.

Display

The Whites, meanwhile, put in good display to beat rivals Millwall 3-1 thanks to a brace from Davide Somma and they will want to keep the momentum going.

Millwall themselves could fancy their chances against Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough at The Den.

Boro managed a narrow 1-0 win over Gary Speed's Sheffield United at the weekend but after a flurry of activity in the transfer market this summer, have yet to click into gear this term.

League Two Morecambe take on recently-relegated Burnley at the Globe Arena, but need to be on top form as the Clarets have looked in good shape of late.

Meanwhile, two Championship sides take on opponents from the fourth-tier as Preston travel to Bradford and Ipswich go on the road to Crewe.

Elsewhere, Hull City face a trip south to Brentford as the Tigers also look to avoid an upset against the Bees.