Bristol Rovers vs Norwich predictions: Canaries to turn off the Gas
- Bristol Rovers and Norwich drew their original tie 1-1
- The winner of Wednesday's replay will travel to Liverpool
- Recommended bet: Norwich to win and both teams to score
Norwich produced a smash-and-grab in Friday's 2-1 Championship win at Hull City and they can gain some more away day joy when they head to Bristol Rovers for an FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday.
The pair renew hostilities after playing out a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road, Ashley Barnes putting the Canaries ahead after 12 minutes, only for Grant Ward to grab an equaliser for the Gas soon after.
Wednesday's hosts at the Memorial Stadium have beaten Whitby and Crewe to reach this stage and will again look to go toe-to-toe with their rivals, with the prize a trip to Liverpool on January 28th.
However, Norwich's Championship class should shine through against their League One rivals and set up a reunion between David Wagner and his old friend Jurgen Klopp.
Team news
Rovers defender Lewis Gordon is expected to be fit enough to be named on the bench, but James Wilson, Jordan Rossiter and Ward all remain sidelined.
The Gas' forward line could be led by a familiar face to Norwich fans, with striker Chris Martin, who began his career at Carrow Road, expected to start.
Wagner has confirmed that Josh Sargent will not travel with the Norwich squad and will be rested.
Jaden Warner is unavailable due to illness and the City boss has confirmed that captain Grant Hanley is still a week away as he works his way back from a hamstring injury.
The stats
Rovers have a solid home record in League One this season, winning five, drawing five and only losing once.
They also beat Whitby 7-2 in the first round, before winning 4-2 away at Crewe to reach this stage.
The Gas have kept just one clean sheet at home in all competitions this season, with 'Yes' in both teams to score, landing in the other 13.
There have also been goals on both sides in 12 of Norwich's 17 away matches this season, most recently at Hull on Friday.
That result ended a run of four without a victory in all competitions, while Rovers have failed to win any of their three fixtures in 2024.
Peculiarly, both teams sit 11th in their respective tables, with Rovers on 34 points after 25 League One games and the Canaries on 38 after 27 Championship outings.
Prediction
Norwich were eliminated by Blackburn in the third round of last season's tournament and, while promotion from the Championship remains their priority ahead of Saturday's visit of in-form West Brom, the chance to play at Anfield will be a real motivation.
With Rovers' hopes of going up curtailed by their recent form, Wednesday's game looks like a free hit for the Gas.
They have not made it past the third round since 2007-08 and Matt Taylor will be imploriong his players to make their own little bit of history at the Memorial Stadium, which is sure to be rocking.
The visiting Canaries have struggled to click this season but have real quality, notably in winger Jon Rowe, who scored the opening goal on Friday.
That type of talent can get teams out of tough spots, such as tricky midweek cup replays at lower league clubs and Wagner's boys should have enough to come through on an entertaining evening.
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