Bristol City finished 12th in the Championship last season
Walsall came 13th in League Two
Recommended bet: Bristol City to win to nil @ 6/5 with LiveScore Bet
Championship Bristol City host Walsall of League Two as the EFL Cup first round gets under way at Ashton Gate on Thursday.
The Robins will hope to be among the promotion contenders in the second tier this season and should see off a Saddlers side in this Southern Section clash who have failed to score in four pre-season games.
The latest Bristol City vs Walsall odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
City defender Luke McNally is still out injured, but new boss Michael Skubala has a virtually fully-fit roster to choose from, while his squad has been bolstered by the signing of striker Dom Ballard from Leyton Orient.
There are likely to be run-outs for some fringe players pushing for inclusion when the Championship campaign starts a week on Saturday.
Summer signings Reece Smith, James Connolly and Andy Dallas are all hoping for their competitive Walsall debuts, while Tai Sodje and Courtney Clarke are among those in contention to start after coming on as subs in Saturday's friendly draw with Notts County.
The stats
Bristol City won just two of their pre-season games, losing two and drawing the other three and one of the Robins' summer victories was a 4-1 home success over Newcastle United.
Walsall did not win any of their four friendlies, drawing twice and losing twice, failing to score in any of those summer games.
The furthest City have gone in this competition is when they reached the semi-finals in 1989 and 2018.
Walsall's best run in the League Cup came in 1984 when they also reached the semi-finals.
The latest Bristol City vs Walsall odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
City should kick-off their season with a comfortable home win in the League Cup as they aim for a decent campaign under the guidance of Skubala, who has come in as boss following Roy Hodgson's summer exit.
Pre-season results have been mixed, with a stand-out 4-1 win over Newcastle featuring alongside goalless draws with Newport and Plymouth, a 3-1 success over Swindon and defeats to Stockport and Forest Green.
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Exeter was the last tune-up for this first competitive outing of 2026-27 and the Robins should be confident of claiming a victory while also picking up a clean sheet.
Walsall have Lee Grant in charge after Mat Sadler's departure last season and they ultimately suffered a second successive painful campaign in which they were firmly in the automatic promotion picture in League Two only to fall apart badly after Christmas.
Their summer results have been poor, with no wins and no goals scored, so taking on a team two divisions above in the EFL Cup first round does not bode well for the Saddlers.
Score prediction: Bristol City 3-0 Walsall
