League Cup Final: Bradford v Swansea Tip

I was surprised to see that since 1991 as many as five non-top flight teams have made the final of the League Cup. I was considerably less surprised to see that none of those lower division sides were ultimately victorious.

Wembley cup finals are not for the faint-hearted and the likelihood of a massive upset immediately seems reduced by the surroundings and situation. Bradford would almost have a better chance against a bigger team who was accustomed to winning trophies and might take their eye off the ball ever so slightly. That just won’t be the case with a Swansea City side hunting its first ever major piece of silverware.

The other thing is that Michael Laudrup’s boys are extremely well-equipped to fully utilise the big Wembley playing surface, especially against League Two opponents. If they can pass many Premier League teams into submission then only uncontrollable nerves could deny them here. I just can’t see that happening.

On the issue of form, neither team is looking too hot but at a push Bradford’s is the worse of the two. The Bantams have now mustered only two victories in their last 11 fixtures in all competitions (W2 D2 L7) and a small squad may just be running out of steam.

The Swans were battered at Anfield but I just don’t envisage that have any bearing on Sunday as we all know why that happened. Prior to that,  QPR were soundly beaten 4-1, and the league game before that at the Liberty Stadium saw Stoke dispatched 3-1. The Welsh club are flying high in the top division on merit.

And therein lies the crux of any assessment of this match. Eighth in the Premier League tackles 11th in League 2 and logic suggests there can only be one winner. I suspect that Swansea may have saved a few goals for the showcase occasion and will win with something to spare.

In terms of romance I will make one concession - I think Bradford will score. Their story seems too magnificent to end without one final great moment. With all that said, 3-1 to the Swans seems about right to me, available at best odds of 12/1 with BetVictor.