Cheltenham Town and Exeter City will lock horns in the first round of the 2025/26 EFL Cup at The Completely-Suzuki Stadium on August 13, 2025, with kick-off set for 21:45 East African Time. This West Country derby promises to be a competitive and spirited affair as both sides aim to progress in the cup and set the tone for their seasons.
The fixture comes early in the campaign, offering both teams an opportunity to build momentum and confidence. The EFL Cup remains a key stage for lower-league sides to make an impression, with the possibility of drawing Premier League opponents in later rounds providing extra motivation.
Team News
Cheltenham are expected to be without young forward Taine Anderson, who missed the weekend’s loss to Chesterfield due to injury. New signing George Harmon made his debut from the bench, while Lithuanian defender Jakubas Mazionis was given his first start. Wrexham loanee Jake Bickerstaff is still awaiting his full debut.
Exeter City also face injury concerns. Pedro Borges remains out with a knee issue, Andrew Oluwabori is sidelined with a hip injury, and Ryan Rydel, Patrick Sweeney, and Johnly Yfeko have been unavailable in recent weeks. On the positive side, Jake Doyle-Hayes made his first appearance in their weekend victory over Blackpool.
Form Guide & Head-to-Head
Cheltenham have managed just one win in their last five outings, suffering back-to-back defeats to Chesterfield and Cambridge United. Their pre-season included a goalless draw with Bristol City and a 2-1 win over Swansea, though they ended last term with a heavy loss to Bromley.
Exeter enter the tie in better form, with three wins from their last five games. They opened their League One campaign with a 4-1 triumph over Blackpool, though they recently lost 1-0 to Doncaster. Previous meetings between the two have been evenly balanced, but Exeter won their last encounter 2-1 at this venue in April 2024.
The most memorable cup meeting between these sides came in August 2022, when Exeter stunned Cheltenham 7-0 in the same round of the competition.
Where to Watch
Fans can catch the action live on Sky Sports+.
Possible Lineups
Cheltenham: Day; Wilson, Harmon, Mazionis; Jude-Boyd, Tustin, Young, Thomas, Archer; Miller, Bickerstaff
Exeter City: Whitworth; Turns, Fitzwater, Swinkels; Niskanen, Cole, Doyle-Hayes, McMillan; Aitchison, Wareham, Brierley
