Manchester United vs Barnsley

Old Trafford is the venue as Manchester United take on third-tier Barnsley in the League Cup third round.

While their fiercest Premier League rivals embark on the newly formatted Champions League campaign, Manchester United must settle for League Cup action this midweek following last season’s dreadful eighth-place finish. Erik ten Hag’s side entered the international break with troubled minds after losing back-to-back league games, including a thumping 3-0 home defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool. However, a morale-boosting 3-0 triumph at Southampton last weekend has offered the Old Trafford faithful renewed hope ahead of United’s return to the competition they won in the Dutchman’s first season in charge two years ago. Heavily fancied to progress past this stage, the Red Devils take on a Barnsley side they’ve defeated in their last three competitive encounters by an aggregate score of 11-0, netting multiple goals on each occasion.

Barnsley’s disappointing H2H record against Manchester United isn’t the only reason they come into this fixture as betting outsiders. The visitors relinquished a two-game winning league run at the weekend, going down 3-0 against Stevenage. They did triumph in the previous League Cup round, squeaking past second-tier Sheffield United 1-0, but they seem to be out of their depth here. Darrel Clarke’s men can draw confidence from losing just once on their four competitive road trips this season (W3, L1), even though the stature of their past opponents comes nowhere near United’s elite status in English football. But as their last three away matches featured over 2.5 goals, Barnsley could at least entertain neutrals in this ‘David vs Goliath’ clash.