Big game preview: Team news, past matches, views from both camps and third round draw details

David Ball celebrates a goal for Posh at Stevenage in a 2011 EFL Cup tie. Photo: Alan Storer.

A second round EFL Cup tie at Stevenage on Tuesday evokes great memories of the clubs’ only other meeting in the competition.

Back in 2011 a Posh team fresh from promotion back to the Championship travelled to face Graham Westley’s League One team and won a cracking contest 4-3 after extra time.

Posh were pegged back three times by the home side before a 120th minute penalty from Lee Tomlin sealed victory. David Ball (2) and George Boyd, agianst the club who sold him to Posh, scored the other goals for Darren Ferguson’s side.

Michael Bostwick scored one of the Stevenage goals and he could face Posh tonight having rejoined the club permanently in the summer.

Goalkeeper Aaron Chapman in his Posh days. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com

TEAM NEWSExpect multiple changes to both starting line-ups tonight.

Posh could well start in a 3-4-1-2 formation of Bergstrom: O’Connell, Knight, Kent: Ajiboye, Kyrpianou, Fuchs, Tomlinson: Poku: Jones, Joe Taylor.

Stevenage boss only has a squad of 18, but he has said he will leave several first-team regulars out probably including forwards Danny Rose and Luke Norris.

Former Posh players Aaron Chapman and Michael Bostwick are expected to start. Another ex-Posh player Carl Piergianni is the Stevenage club captain.

VIEW FOM THE CAMPSPosh boss Grant McCann: “It will a tough, competitive game. Matches against a Steve Evans’ side always are. We played Stevenage pre-season and I felt then they would be challenging for automatic promotion in League Two this season.”

Stevenage boss Steve Evans: “Posh spend good money and they have an exceptional squad. Grant described it to me as the strongest side Posh have had in five or six years and I think he is right, if you look at the depth they’ve got. They will make changes but Kwame Poku is hardly a downgrade.

"But we have the best team we’ve had here in five or six years too. We can’t make as many changes as they’ll make, if they want to.

"We’re not going to win the Carabao Cup, but I’d like to beat Peterborough in the second round and I know how tough that will be."

CURRENT FORM

Both teams are riding high in their respective divisions. Posh have won four of five League One matches and sit second. Stevenage have won four of five unbeaten League Two games and also sit second.

Posh won 2-0 at League One rivals Plymouth Argyle in the first round, while Stevenage secured an excellent 2-1 success at Championship side Reading.

BITS AND BOBS

Teams can use five of nine named substitutes in the Carabao Cup this season.

The match will go to a penalty shootout if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

The draw for the third round will take place on Wednesday after the live televised second round tie between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal.

Posh will be wearing the black third kit for the fixture.

The match referee is Chris Pollard. Pollard hasn’t refereed Posh since a 2019 2-1 EFL Trophy win over Cambridge United at London Road.