Preview: Exeter City vs Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Both Exeter City and Blackpool will be looking to bag their first win of the new League One season when the two teams meet at St James Park this Saturday.

The Grecians kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster last week, while the Seasiders will be looking to bounce back from their 3-2 loss against Stevenage.

Match preview

Exeter seemed to be heading for a hard-earned draw away in South Yorkshire, until an 88th-minute Doncaster penalty left the Grecians empty-handed.

Gary Caldwell and his men will be looking to bounce back as league action heads to the St James Park for the first time this season.

The head coach has been at the club since October 2023 and has two full seasons under his belt; during this time, he has been able to successfully keep the team in the third division despite their limited resources.

Caldwell will be hoping to keep his men in the division for another season, and they will be determined to improve those ambitions with a victory over Blackpool.

Getting a result against the Seasiders is certainly a lot easier said than done, considering Steve Bruce and his men have beaten Exeter three successive times.

Their last visit to St James Park took place in January as the Tangerines picked up an impressive 3-1 victory – one which saw them score all three goals in the final 12 minutes of the first half.

Despite enduring some early season instability – and going through two managers in the first month of the campaign – Blackpool were able to recover and finish in a respectable ninth place.

Expectations have now been set higher following an encouraging summer transfer window, plus the experience of Bruce in the dugout.

Exeter City League One form:

Blackpool League One form:

Team News

Exeter will be without Pedro Borges for Saturday’s encounter, with the Portuguese midfielder still recovering from a knee injury.

To make matters worse, Caldwell has a number of injury doubts in his squad, with Josh Magennis, Jack McMillan, Andrew Oluwabori, Pierce Sweeney and Johnly Yfeko all facing late fitness tests.

Blackpool are also struggling with injuries at this very early stage of the season – something that is testing their resources.

Tom Bloxham is dealing with a calf injury, CJ Hamilton has hurt his shoulder, George Honeyman is nursing an ankle problem, James Husband has a hamstring issue, while Daniel Imray and Albie Morgan are out with knee and thigh concerns.

Exeter City possible starting lineup: Whitworth; Francis, Fitzwater, Turns; Niskanen, Brierley, Cole, Dean; Swinkels, Cox; Wareham

Blackpool possible starting lineup: Peacock-Farrell; Ihiekwe, Horsfall, Casey; Coulson, Ashworth, Evans, Brown, Lyons; Ennis, Fletcher

We say: Exeter City 2-1 Blackpool

Having lost their last three meetings with Blackpool, Exeter will be looking to finally have some sweet revenge.

This is the perfect time to strike, considering the Seasiders have been rocked by a wave of injuries early in the season. With that in mind, we are backing the hosts to pick up an important win.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.