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Accrington Stanley and Sunderland U21 begin their respective 2026-27 EFL Trophy campaigns with a meeting at The Wham Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Salford City and Sheffield Wednesday join the sides in Group One, with all four teams competing for two knockout places.
Read our Accrington Stanley vs Sunderland U21 prediction, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Accrington Stanley vs. Sunderland U21 key stats
- Accrington Stanley are unbeaten in their last five competitive home matches.
- Both teams have scored in four of Accrington's last five affairs.
- Sunderland Under-21s have won three of their last four outings.
- Nine of the visitors' last 10 outings have yielded three goals or more.
Accrington Stanley vs. Sunderland U21 preview: ‘Owd Reds to fly out of the blocks
Accrington Stanley vs. Sunderland U21 — Tale of the Tape
| Accrington Stanley | vs | Sunderland U21 |
|---|---|---|
| 21st (League Two) | Position | 5th (U21 Premier League) |
| 6 | Points | 9 |
| 10 | Goals For | 13 |
| 13 | Goals Against | 9 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 15th | Home / Away Rank | 27th |
Accrington Stanley entered the new campaign off the back of an unbeaten pre-season – winning three and drawing two of their five friendlies – but have made an underwhelming start to 2026-27, beginning with an EFL Cup first-round exit to Crewe Alexandra.
They have since managed just one win from seven league matches, following Saturday’s goalless draw with Newport County – a rare occasion where John Doolan’s side failed to score but also kept a clean sheet.
The ‘Owd Reds will be hoping to kickstart their season with a strong showing in the EFL Trophy, but recent history in the competition has not been kind after group-stage exits in each of the last two editions since reaching the knockouts in 2024.
However, Tuesday’s hosts are unbeaten in front of their fans since April and have made the most of Under-21 sides more often than not, winning seven of the last eight meetings, with a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest U21 in November 2023 the only exception.
Devon Matthews, who missed the draw with Newport through suspension, is available to return and will hope to provide a spark for a side in need of inspiration.
Sunderland Under-21s opened their campaign with a 5-1 victory over Forest Under-21s, only to be handed a 5-1 defeat by Brentford Under-21s. However, they have since bounced back with consecutive wins over Ipswich Town Under-21s (4-2) and Norwich Under-21s (3-1).
While Matthew Caddock’s side have shown plenty of attacking threat, they have also struggled defensively, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 16 matches since shutting out Crystal Palace Under-21s at the start of March.
Sunderland Under-21s have not featured in the EFL Trophy since the 2018-19 season, although their senior side reached the knockout rounds in 2021 before bowing out to Oldham Athletic.
As the only Under-21 side in Group One, the Black Cats face a tough task to progress, so a winning start would provide a much-needed boost ahead of their next outing against Sheffield Wednesday next month.
To achieve that, Tuesday’s visitors will need to halt their away slump, having lost each of their last four competitive away matches, conceding 14 goals and scoring just four in that run.
Accrington Stanley vs. Sunderland U21 form guide & betting tips
| Accrington Stanley | vs | Sunderland U21 |
|---|---|---|
L
D
W
L
D
|
Form |
D
W
L
W
W
|
| 8 | Goals For | 14 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 10 |
N/A |
EFL Trophy |
N/A
|
Whispers predicts: Accrington Stanley 2-1 Sunderland U21
Accrington Stanley’s greater experience at this level makes them strong favourites to secure a home win, priced at 2/3 (1.67).
However, Sunderland Under-21s' attacking firepower suggests BTTS – Yes at 2/5 (1.40) is a strong option.
Each of Accrington’s last six matches and four of Sunderland Under-21s’ last five have produced under 10.5 corners, so under 11 corners at 33/50 (1.66) completes our selections.
> Match result — Accrington Stanley to win at 2/3 (1.67) | Likelihood: Likely
> BTTS – Yes at 2/5 (1.40) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 11 corners at 33/50 (1.66) | Likelihood: Probable