Barrow vs Aston Villa U21 Prediction: Young Villans to take another three points

Barrow will have zero motivation for their EFL Trophy clash with Aston Villa U21s on Tuesday evening (19:00, Sky Sports+) as they know they are already eliminated from the competition. The young West Midlands outfit heads north to round off their group campaign, which they currently top with five points.

A win would guarantee they go through as group winners, and I sense they can do this against a Barrow side that will not be particularly fussed about this fixture. Read on for my Barrow vs Aston Villa U21s prediction, including the latest match odds and team news.

Barrow vs Aston Villa U21s Odds

Barrow are 8/11 to win this contest, which gives them a theoretical chance of 57.9%. Aston Villa U21s are valued at 13/5 to take the three points, giving them an implied probability of 27.8%. The draw is available at 3/1 (25%).

Over 2.5 goals is marketed at 8/15 and both teams to score can be backed at 1/2.

Football Odds

Team News

With his side already out of this competition, and a crunch clash with AFC Wimbledon in League 2 at the weekend, Barrow boss Stephen Clemence will likely preserve a lot of his regular stars for the weekend by resting them against Aston Villa U21s.

The likes of Elliot Newby, Connor Mahoney, Dean Campbell and Dom Telford could all be dropped down to the bench or omitted for this clash, with the bigger focus on the league meeting with the Dons.

Kian Spence is a doubt to play a part after he went off injured in the 1-1 draw with Colchester United at the weekend. He is another player who would have likely been rested on Tuesday.

On the other hand, seeing as his side are winless in their last seven matches in all competitions, Clemence could keep a few of his main men in the side in a bid to end the streak and give his team a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the weekend.

Villa U21 boss Josep Gombau will likely go with a strong side at Holker Street as this is another valuable experience against senior opposition for his young players. Top scorer Ben Broggio and Kobei Moore should start in the final third, with the latter the son of former Villa forward Stefan Moore.

They should join 18-year-old winger Kadan Young, who has already made two appearances for the senior side.

Aston Villa U21 to win @ 13/5

It's hard to see which way Clemence will go in terms of picking his team for this one. but I think we are sure to see a strong Villa side named, who will be eager to bow out of the group stage in style.

I think there is value to be had in backing them to win this clash because of the way they have handled themselves in this competition so far. They started with a win over Fleetwood Town, before holding League 1 promotion-chasers Bolton Wanderers to a draw, before gaining an additional point by winning the subsequent penalty shoot-out.

Villa will be fancying themselves against a Barrow side that are currently low on confidence, that could indeed name a weak side to rest key figures for their next league clash. They have the chance to take their foot off the pedal as they have already qualified to the knockout stage, but they have the chance to top the group, and as mentioned above, this is an excellent exercise for a group of players looking to prove they can handle the step up to senior football.

I see them winning this match, but I don't think it will be a breeze by any stretch. Even with rotation, Barrow will pose a threat to them because of the experience within their ranks. Villa have already conceded three goals in their opening two matches in the EFL Trophy, so I think there is a good chance we will see Barrow get on the scoresheet here.

With the way the young Villans have handled themselves so far, conceding to senior opposition doesn't faze them, and they have the talent within their ranks to ensure they can outscore their hosts here, even if it is just by the one goal.

Over 2.5 goals @ 8/15

As such, I think over 2.5 goals is another market worth considering on Tuesday. You may think this is brave because it has not appeared regularly in Barrow's League 2 matches this term (three out of 15), but it has been a winning selection in eight of Villa's games across all competitions.

It landed in their opening EFL clash with Fleetwood, which ended 3-2. Of course on that occasion they were aided by a brace from a seasoned pro in Emi Buendia, but the other seven matches have come in the Premier League 2, and yes it is hard to compare that level to that of League 2.

However, if Clemence heavily rotates his side, and Villa go strong as expected, I think there is a good chance that we will see at least three goals in this contest.

Offers

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