Bradford City will learn their potential Carabao Cup third round opponents tonight if they can defeat Burnley in their second round clash. The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the Preston North End versus Everton match.
The draw for the next stage of the competition is scheduled to begin at approximately 10.15pm tonight. It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. This timing is set to follow the featured second round tie between Preston North End and Everton, which kicks off at 8pm. A pre-draw to determine home or away status for the eight clubs involved in European competitions will also be conducted live on Sky Sports during the build-up to that 8pm match.
Should Nicky Hayen's side progress, they would enter a 32-team draw that is no longer regionalised. The round will include the 23 winners from tonight's second round fixtures, plus nine Premier League clubs who are competing in European tournaments this season. Those clubs are Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace. Ball numbers for the draw are due to be released later today, with Bradford City or Burnley listed among the potential contenders alongside clubs like Chelsea, Wolves, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur or Charlton Athletic.
The Bantams head into the match looking to bounce back from a 3-1 League One defeat to West Brom this past Sunday. That result ended a perfect start to the season where they had won all three of their opening games in league and cup without conceding a single goal. Their Carabao Cup journey began with a 2-0 victory over Rochdale. Burnley, their Championship opponents, needed a penalty shootout to see off League One side Notts County in the first round. A large crowd is anticipated at Valley Parade, with around 20,000 spectators expected, including an estimated 5,000 travelling Burnley fans, aided by a £5 ticket deal offered by the home club.
Third round ties are scheduled to be played across the weeks beginning September 7 and September 14. The split across two weeks accommodates Champions League fixtures in the first week and Europa League matches in the second. For Bradford City, a cup run would add to a busy and successful early season schedule. The team currently sits first in League One, having taken six points from two games with a perfect record. They have scored three goals and conceded none, giving them a two-point lead at the top over Huddersfield. Top scorer N. Powell has one goal from his two appearances so far. The club's strong defensive start is also detailed in our stats section. Progress tonight would set up another significant cup night and a potential glamour tie against Premier League opposition.
