Preview: Swansea City vs Plymouth Argyle - prediction, team news, lineups

Swansea City will welcome Plymouth Argyle to the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday evening for an EFL Cup second-round clash, with both sides aiming to secure progression from the Southern section.

Both teams entered the competition from the first round, and the winner will advance to the third round after this one-legged affair.

Match preview

The EFL Cup holds a special place in the history of Swansea, with the Welsh side famously lifting the trophy in 2012-13 after a remarkable run that included victories over Liverpool and Chelsea.

That triumph remains a proud chapter for the club, and while this squad begins from much humbler circumstances, supporters will hope for another memorable journey.

Alan Sheehan’s side began their campaign in style with a 3-1 victory over Crawley Town in the first round, dominating from start to finish.

That result sparked a three-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, including a 1-0 win away at Sheffield United and a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home against Watford in the Championship.

The Swans will aim to extend that momentum against Plymouth and will take confidence from past meetings, including a 4-1 victory over the Pilgrims in the third round of this competition in 2021.

Swansea have had the upper hand in recent encounters, winning both league fixtures last season and suffering just one defeat in their last 12 meetings with Tuesday’s visitors.

Plymouth’s solitary success in that run came in 2023, when they secured a 1-0 win at the Swansea.com Stadium during their Championship campaign.

However, the landscape has shifted since then, with the Pilgrims relegated to League One after finishing 23rd in the second tier last season.

Now under the guidance of former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, appointed in June, the Devon side endured a dismal start to life in League One, losing their opening four matches.

They finally found relief at the weekend with a 1-0 home win over Blackpool, marking their first league victory of the season, and second across all competitions in six outings, first of which was a 3-2 success over QPR in the first round of this tournament.

History is not on their side heading into Tuesday’s clash, as they have only gone beyond this stage once in the past six seasons, with their last second-round triumph dating back to 2007-08.

Swansea City EFL Cup form:

Swansea City form (all competitions):

Plymouth Argyle EFL Cup form:

Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

Team News

Swansea remain without Ricardo Santos, who continues to recover from a knee injury, while young defender Filip Lissah is sidelined until next month with an ankle problem.

Brazilian winger Ronald, who has scored twice in his last three games, is expected to feature prominently, while Zan Vipotnik will push for a starting role after his late equaliser against Watford.

For Plymouth, Irish forward Owen Oseni, who struck a brace in their first-round win over QPR, is likely to be handed a starting opportunity.

Malachi Boateng, the match-winner against Blackpool, is also expected to retain his place in midfield alongside Bradley Ibrahim.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; Tymon, Burgess, Cabango, Key; Franco, Yalcouye; Eom, Galbraith, Ronald; Cullen

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Ashby-Hammond; Szucs, Mitchell, Galloway, Benarous; Ibrahim, Boateng; Finn, Amaechi, Mumba; Oseni

We say: Swansea City 3-1 Plymouth Argyle

Swansea have started the season on a stronger note than Plymouth, showing a level of consistency their visitors have yet to match – this, plus playing at home further tilts things in their favour, especially against a side they have historically enjoyed success against.

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