Preview: Stockport County vs Crewe Alexandra - prediction, team news, lineups

Dreaming of a run in the EFL Cup, Stockport County are set for a first-round clash with Crewe Alexandra at Edgeley Park on Tuesday.

Both the Hatters and the Railwaymen are in strong form having made winning starts to their league campaigns.

Match preview

Dave Challinor's Stockport have put their playoff disappointment behind them by starting brightly in League One, and they will be looking to enjoy the cups in 2025-26 alongside their fight for promotion.

The Hatters endured a frustrating end to last term, and after losing out to Leyton Orient in the playoffs, they won just one of their pre-season matches, a 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers in early July.

However, Challinor's side have been perfect in the third tier so far, following up their 2-0 opening day triumph against Bolton by beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 on the road on Saturday.

Those wins have taken Stockport up to third in the table, and a strong showing in the EFL Cup could give the club a psychological edge over the rest of the top six, all of whom are level on six points.

Hoping to progress on Tuesday, the Hatters will draw confidence from their impressive home record that features 10 wins, one draw and just one defeat across their last 12 competitive fixtures at Edgeley Park, and fans will be expecting another positive result against lower-tier opposition.

Meanwhile, Lee Bell's Crewe closed out 2024-25's league campaign with only one victory from their final 12 matches, but after a constructive pre-season, they have made a flying start this term.

At the weekend, the Railwaymen picked up their second win of the season when they beat Accrington Stanley 2-0 at Gresty Road, courtesy of first-half goals from Reece Hutchinson and 19-year-old Calum Agius.

Earning three points on Saturday took Bell's men top of the League Two table, and they will be hoping that they can maintain their form to avoid another frustrating let-down in the race for promotion.

Turning their attention to the cup in midweek, Crewe fans will feel that their team can cause problems for their hosts given that they saw their side win seven of their last nine matches, including an impressive 4-0 victory over Championship-club Birmingham City back in July.

Additionally, supporters could point to the fact that the Railwaymen have won five of their six most recent games on the road overall, but considering that they have only come out on top in two of their last 10 competitive away clashes, they may want to avoid putting too much stock in pre-season results.

Stockport County form (all competitions):

Crewe Alexandra form (all competitions):

Team News

Should Stockport consider the EFL Cup a priority, then the manager is likely to start striker Kyle Wootton up top, supported by Callum Camps and Jack Diamond.

Just behind them could be a midfield pairing of Oliver Norwood and Owen Moxon, who should be flanked by Corey O'Keeffe and Owen Dodgson.

Joseph Olowu, Callum Connolly and Ethan Pye should start once again in Challinor's backline, protecting backup shot-stopper Ben Hinchcliffe between the sticks.

As for Crewe, they could opt to start Josh March up front after he provided two assists against Accrington, and he should be joined by Tommi O'Reilly and Calum Agius out wide.

Max Sanders is likely to operate in an attacking midfield role just off the frontline, backed up by the more defensively-minded Owen Lunt and Conor Thomas.

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Hinchcliffe; Olowu, Connolly, Pye; O'Keeffe, Norwood, Moxon, Dodgson; Camps, Diamond; Wootton

Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:

Booth; Billington, Connolly, Demetriou, Hutchinson; Lunt, Thomas; O'Reilly, Sanders, Agius; March

We say: Stockport County 2-1 Crewe Alexandra

Stockport have been in strong form this season, and their impressive home record suggests that they should make it through to the second round this week.

However, Crewe have started 2025-26 in similar fashion, and they could cause problems for their hosts despite coming from a lower division.

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