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Bristol Rovers
FA Cup | Second Round
Dec 4, 2021 at 3pm UK
Memorial Stadium
Sutton United

Bristol Rovers
2 - 1
Sutton

Collins (57' pen.), Anderton (60')
Evans (28'), Taylor (45+1')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Randall (52')
Davis (22'), Eastmond (72')

Preview: Bristol Rovers vs. Sutton United - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's FA Cup clash between Bristol Rovers and Sutton United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Bristol Rovers and Sutton United will lock horns in Gloucestershire on Saturday afternoon, with a spot in the third round of the FA Cup on offer to both teams.

The home side beat Oxford United 4-3 in a first-round replay last month to reach the second round, while Sutton progressed to this stage courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Hayes & Yeading.


Match preview

Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton pictured in May 2021© Reuters

Bristol Rovers needed a replay to beat Oxford United in the first round, with the two teams initially playing out a 2-2 draw in Oxfordshire, before Joey Barton's team recorded a 4-3 victory at home on November 16.

Oxford United were incredibly 3-1 ahead in the early stages of extra-time, but the hosts scored three times in the final 10 minutes to record a 4-3 victory, with Sion Spence netting twice off the bench.

Bristol Rovers have not been victorious since that FA Cup clash, though, drawing two and losing one of their last three league matches, including a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers on Saturday.

The Pirates have won six, drawn five and lost eight of their 19 League Two fixtures this season to sit 16th in the table, seven points off seventh-placed Harrogate Town.

Sutton United manager Matt Gray as Aldershot's assistant coach in December 2014  © Reuters

Sutton, meanwhile, recorded a 1-0 victory over Hayes & Yeading in the first round of the FA Cup on November 6, with Will Randall scoring the only goal of the contest in the 71st minute.

Matt Gray's side are going well in League Two this season, meanwhile, picking up 32 points from their 19 matches to sit sixth in the table, just two points behind second-placed Northampton Town.

Sutton have actually been victorious in six of their last seven matches in all competitions, including a 1-0 win over Barrow in the league last weekend, while they beat Stevenage on penalties in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night to secure their spot in the next round of the competition.

The Yellows famously reached the fifth round of the FA Cup during the 2016-17 season, beating Cheltenham Town, AFC Wimbledon and Leeds United before suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal.

The National League champions will actually also face Bristol Rovers in the league on Boxing Day and will be desperate to make it a December double over their League Two rivals.

Bristol Rovers FA Cup form:
  • D
  • W

Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • D
  • L

Sutton United FA Cup form:
  • W

Sutton United form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W



Team News

Bristol Rovers were without Sam Nicholson for the clash with Forest Green Rovers, while Aaron Collins dropped to the bench for the league defeat.

Brett Pitman was one of two changes to the starting XI last time out, and the 33-year-old could retain his spot in the final third of the field alongside Anthony Evans.

Barton will have one eye on next week's league clash with Port Vale, but the 39-year-old is expected to send a strong XI onto the field, with a spot in the third round of the FA Cup on offer.

Sutton boss Gray rung the changes for the EFL Trophy clash with Stevenage on Tuesday, but there will be a more familiar look to the side for Saturday's FA Cup contest.

Indeed, Robert Milsom, Omar Bugiel, Dean Bouzanis and Isaac Olaofe are among those expected to return, while David Ajiboye should be back in the side on the right wing.

There will be no rest for the likes of Craig Eastmond and Randall, though, with the pair both set to feature from the first whistle against Bristol Rovers.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Grant, Taylor, Harries; Anderson, Whelan, Coutts, Finley, Anderton; Evans, Pitman

Sutton United possible starting lineup:
Bouzanis; Barden, Goodliffe, John, Milsom; Ajiboye, Eastmond, Davis, Randall-Hurren; Olaofe, Bugiel


SM words green background

We say: Bristol Rovers 1-2 Sutton United

It is always difficult to know what to expect when two teams in the same league lock horns in the FA Cup, but it is difficult to ignore Sutton's form when predicting this match. We are expecting a tight contest on Saturday afternoon but believe that the visitors will have just about enough to continue their journey in the competition.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sutton United win with a probability of 48.86%. A win for Bristol Rovers had a probability of 26.71% and a draw had a probability of 24.4%.

The most likely scoreline for a Sutton United win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.01%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.51%) and 0-2 (8.25%). The likeliest Bristol Rovers win was 1-0 (7.02%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.55%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with a 6.7% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: Bristol Rovers vs Sutton

Bristol Rovers
60.0%
Draw
10.0%
Sutton United
30.0%
20
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