Yahoo News Coventry City earn tough away tie in Carabao Cup as Sky Blues look to buck dreadful trend in competition
Coventry City will play Championship rivals Bristol City away in the opening game of the Carabao Cup - the team they lost to 4-1 in the competition's first round two seasons ago.
Former Sky Blues player and manager Gary McAllister pulled City out of the bag in the live draw after former Leicester City man Frank Sinclair had pulled out the Robins as the home team.
A total of 70 clubs across the Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two divisions enter at this stage. Burnley, Luton Town and the 13 Premier League clubs not participating in European competitions will enter the competition in Round Two, with the remaining seven clubs joining the competition in Round Three.
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The Carabao Cup remains regionalised in the early rounds with the draw split into a southern and northern section until Round Three. The Sky Blues are in the southern section along with 32 teams. Ties to be played in the week beginning August 12.
The Sky Blues have often fielded weakened sides and, as a result, have a dreadful record in the competition, having failed to progress beyond the second round in their last eleven seasons! Eight of those saw City crash out in the first round - AFC Wimbledon (Lost 2-1 away, 2023/24), Bristol City (Lost 1-4 at Burton, 2022/23), Northampton Town (Lost, 1-2 at home, 2021/22), Oxford United (Lost 2-0 away, 2018/19), Blackburn Rovers (Lost 1-3 at home, 2017/18), Rochdale (Lost away on pens after 1-1 draw), Cardiff (Lost 1-2 at home, 2014/15) and Leyton Orient (Lost 0-1 away, 2013/14).
City made it to the second round and then crashed out on three occasions during that time, losing to Gillingham on penalties after a drab 1-1 draw in 2020/21, going out to Watford in a 3-0 defeat at Vicarage Road in 2019/20 and being thumped 6-1 by Norwich City in 2016/17.
The last time they progressed to the third round was back in 2012/13 when Mark Robins had just been appointed first time around. After beating Dagenham and Redbridge and Birmingham in the first and second rounds they earned a trip to Arsenal where they were duly smashed 6-1.
Matches in all rounds are single-legged, with the exception of the semi-final ties.
In the event of scores being level at the end of ninety minutes’ duration in Rounds One, Two, Three, Four and Five, no extra time shall be played. The winners shall be determined by penalty kicks.
Extra time will apply in the second leg of the semi-finals and Final if the result is level after ninety minutes’ duration. A period of 30 minutes will be played.
