Cambridge United vs Northampton Predictions

• These sides exchanged places last summer, with Cambridge winning promotion to League One and the Cobblers relegated back to the fourth tier.
• Despite sitting in an impressive 12^th place, Cambridge have blown hot-and-cold in League One, already conceding 28 goals.
• Only 1 of the last 17 meetings between these sides has been decided by more than a one goal margin.

Cambridge Enjoying Life After Promotion

These two teams swapped places last summer, with Northampton relegated straight back to League Two just a year after winning promotion at Wembley. Mark Bonner’s Cambridge, meanwhile, won promotion to the third tier after a memorable 2020-21 season, and have impressed in League One so far.

The amber army sit in the top half of League One after an entertaining, albeit inconsistent, start to the season. Cambridge have shipped 28 goals already, but have already earned positive results against relative giants Portsmouth, Bolton, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday.

The U’s showed their soft side in a 4-1 hammering by promotion contenders MK Dons on Saturday, and have already struggled against lower league opposition this term; they required penalties to beat Swindon Town in the Carabao Cup in August, and were deservedly beaten by League Two strugglers Stevenage in the Papa John’s Trophy last week.

Northampton Can Compete

Northampton’s hopes of another return to the third tier were dealt a blow by Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers on Saturday. But the Cobblers still sit fourth in League Two, and may feel hard done by not to have progressed from the original tie; Northampton were twice pegged back after leading, and looked the more likely to nick a winner at 2-2.

Given Cambridge’s tendency to blow hot-and-cold, the solidity instilled in Northampton by Jon Brady (they possess League Two’s joint-second best defence thus far), and the fact that these clubs only changed places this summer, there could be little between these teams in an even affair.

On a night where many of the favourites look likely to progress in the cup, Cambridge may well be troubled by the Cobblers; I’m backing Northampton to at least force extra time, and believe that the 1-1 draw could be a good correct score prediction.