League Two side Cheltenham Town are set to host League One team Reading on Tuesday at Whaddon Road in each club's second EFL Trophy match of the 2024-25 season.

Home Team: Cheltenham Town

Cheltenham Town are set to host League One side Reading at Whaddon Road on Tuesday for each club's second EFL Trophy match of the 2024-25 season. The Robins currently sit second in their four-team group with three points after their 2-1 victory against Newport County on September 3. In that match, Cheltenham found themselves trailing 1-0 until Newport’s Jacob Carney was sent off just before halftime, allowing Cheltenham to turn the game around with second-half goals from Harrison Sohna and Joel Colwill. However, their recent league form has been concerning, as they lost 2-1 to Barrow last Saturday, failing to create significant chances and holding only 36% possession. Manager Michael Flynn expressed frustration over the team’s inability to maintain defensive discipline, leading to conceding two poor goals. Currently, Cheltenham sit 20th in the 24-team league with 10 points from 10 matches, having conceded 16 goals—joint fifth most in the league. Despite losing seven of their last 11 games across all competitions, they have won four of their last six competitive home matches, raising hopes for a strong performance in front of their home fans.

Away Team: Reading

Reading come into this match looking to build on their solid start in the EFL Trophy, where they convincingly defeated West Ham United Academy 3-1 in their first outing. They controlled the match with 57% possession and recorded 20 shots, only conceding due to an own goal from Harlee Dean. Despite this success, Reading’s form in League One has been less impressive, currently sitting 16th in the table with 13 points from nine matches. They have a game in hand on several teams above them and are just three points shy of sixth-placed Stockport County. However, they suffered a setback in their last league match, losing 2-1 to Rotherham United while playing with 10 men after Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s red card. Although they have won two of their last three matches, their away form has been troubling, as they have lost their last four away fixtures, with their last draw coming against Birmingham City on August 10. The Royals will be keen to turn their fortunes around on the road and aim for a positive result against Cheltenham.

Prediction: 1-1

Cheltenham vs Reading and TV listing

Great Britain：Sky Sports+

Ireland Republic：Sky Sports+

International：Score808 808ball