Bristol Street Motors Trophy – Semi Finals Previewed

And then there were four.

Bradford City, Blackpool, Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers have made it through to the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy.

Both fixtures are Northern affairs, with Blackpool and Peterborough facing each other on the 20th of February in Blackpool, whilst Wycombe will also point their compasses North to face Bradford City at the Valley Parade on the 21st.

The semi-finals are one-legged affairs with no extra time, instead, if the game remains a draw past the 90 minutes, it will head straight to penalties. This sets up an intriguing clash as all four teams will look to set up a day in Wembley, and the possibility of silverware.

Blackpool – Peterborough United, 20th of February 2024

Many eyes will be on the clash of the two largest remaining teams in the trophy, Blackpool and Peterborough United.

Whoever wins this match is likely to be seen as the favourite to go on and lift the trophy with both teams vying for promotion from League One this season, with Peterborough in fourth, and Blackpool in eighth.

Blackpool walked through Northern Group A with style, winning all three games against Barrow, Liverpool U21s and Morecambe, scoring at least twice a game and only conceding once.

They edged out Barnsley 2-1 in a close-fought contest at home in the first knockout round, and once again won 2-1 against Burton Albion in the Round of 16.

Their quarter-final versus Bolton Wanderers at home would be the first time the Seasiders would fail to win in 90 minutes, instead trading penalties with Bolton. This continued until the seventh round of penalties, with Mathew Pennington slotting home, and Bolton’s 21-year-old Zachary Ashworth failing to convert.

Peterborough meanwhile would open up their EFL Trophy campaign with back-to-back wins against Cambridge United and Tottenham U21s, and a loss against league two struggles Colchester United wouldn’t be enough to prevent Peterborough from topping Southern Group D on Goal Difference.

A 3-0 win over Arsenal U21s and a 2-1 victory over Crawley Town would be enough to see them to the quarter-finals, where they would score twice in two minutes against AFC Wimbledon, cementing a 3-1 victory to see The Posh through to the semi-finals.

It is likely to be a tight and exciting contest between two competitive League One teams, in the past the fixture has been a high-intensity and goal-scoring affair, with no game in their last five meetings failing to have at least three goals scored.

Blackpool edged out this head-to-head with three wins and two losses in their past five meetings, but Peterborough United have won the two closest games, winning 5-0 and 4-2.

Curiously, both teams will meet just three days before the semi-finals in the League. Whether that affects

Bradford City – Wycombe Wanderers, 21st of February 2024

Bradford remain the last League Two side in the competition whilst Wycombe Wanderers have struggled with their league form this season, and have never made it to the EFL Trophy final.

Both teams will see this as a fantastic opportunity to reach Wembley, and both will likely believe this was the best draw possible for them to do so.

Bradford overcame Man City’s U21 team, no mean feat given their production of talented players, Grimsby Town (despite getting a red card), and demolished League One side Barnsley 5-1 at home to secure their place in the knockout round.

Another emphatic thrashing of Liverpool U21s would follow, and in the Round of 16, they secured a 1-0 away victory over League One Derby County to secure a quarter-final, where they would face fellow League Two side Doncaster Rovers, again dispatching them 1-0 to grasp at a chance of a final.

Wycombe Wanderers meanwhile, despite torrid league form, have found some level of comfort in the EFL Trophy, having won every single game they’ve played so far within 90 minutes.

The Chairboys picked up wins versus Crystal Palace U21s, Stevenage and AFC Wimbledon to top Southern Group C, and dispatched three U21 teams in a row to secure a place in the semi-finals, beating Fulham’s, West Hams and Brighton’s U21 teams in succession.

Bradford are no strangers to League One teams, having already beaten Barnsley and Derby in the trophy, but the Chairboys will take solace in the fact the two met already this season, with Wycombe beating Bradford away 2-1 in the FA Cup in November.

The past form suggests a tight match, with both teams winning twice and one draw between the two sides in their past five encounters, but Wycombe have won or drawn the past 3 head to head matches.

Both semi-finals look to be interesting and competitive contests, and all four teams will fancy their chances to get a day out to Wembley.