Colchester vs Southampton Predictions

• Southampton won only three of their opening ten matches of last season

Saints set to struggle in Colchester

A chaotic campaign saw Southampton ejected from the Championship playoffs last term and the hangover from the spying scandal may not stop at the four-point deduction handed to the Saints.

Tonda Eckert has beefed up his squad with the permanent signings of Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin, who enjoyed productive loan spells at the club last season, while winger Lewis Dobbin arrives from Aston Villa.

However, Southampton are going to be a target for all of their opponents this season, given the antics of last term, and that starts at Colchester in the EFL Cup.

The Essex men will be eyeing an upset in the first round of the cup on Saturday evening and they may be overpriced to pull off a shock.

The U’s were solid enough to concede only 49 goals in 46 League Two games last season and Colchester lost only two of their final 13 all-competition home games of the campaign.

Danny Cowley’s well-coached side only went down 1-0 at Oxford in the first round of the EFL Cup last season and they now have the Colchester Community Stadium on side against the Saints.

Any Colchester success is likely to come from a battling defensive display, but Southampton may not be at their max in the early part of the campaign and the south coast side only won three of their opening ten matches of last season.

The spying scandal will have left Southampton as a target for opposition fans and teams this season and it could be tough for the Saints to find the clues in their EFL Cup tie at Colchester, with the hosts backed to edge a 1-0 tie.