Barnet and Newport County Kick Off 2025-26 Carabao Cup
A preliminary round Carabao Cup tie sees Barnet host Newport County, with a chance to face Millwall in the next stage.
- Barnet hosts Newport County in the 2025-26 Carabao Cup preliminary round on Tuesday, July 29.
- The winner will play Millwall in the opening proper round on August 12.
- Both teams are expected to feature several new signings making competitive debuts.
- Newport has a strong recent cup record at Barnet, winning two of three visits.
Barnet faces Newport County in a 2025-26 Carabao Cup preliminary round match. The winner advances to face Millwall in the first proper round on August 12. Barnet will be looking to impress in front of their home crowd at The Hive on Tuesday, July 29. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. BST, with coverage on Sky Sports+.
Team News and Debut Watch
Barnet is poised to give competitive debuts to a number of new recruits. Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill is anticipated to spearhead the attack. Other potential debutants for the Bees include Owen Evans, Romoney Crichlow, Ryan Galvin, Ollie Kensdale, Adam Senior, Kane Smith, Dennis Adeniran, Nnamdi Ofoborh, Emmanuel Osadebe, Scott High, and Oliver Hawkins.
Newport County could also see new faces in action. Loan signing Ben Lloyd might make his debut, alongside club debutants Habeeb Ogunneye, Lee Jenkins, Matthew Smith, Ged Garner, and Michael Reindorf. The goalkeeping situation for Newport is also interesting, with Nik Tzanev and Jordan Wright vying for the top spot. Tzanev holds the No. 1 jersey, but Jacob Carney is also in contention for this fixture.
Statistical Preview
This marks Barnet’s inaugural meeting with Newport County in this specific competition. Newport, however, boasts a solid record in cup matches at Barnet, having won two of their three previous encounters, all in the FA Cup. This includes a notable 4-1 victory in a Second Round replay in December 2023.
Barnet has struggled in their recent home League Cup ties, losing both played this century. Conversely, Newport has a commendable recent League Cup away record, securing three wins from their last five away fixtures, including penalty shootouts.
Match Prediction
Barnet’s pre-season started promisingly but has since faltered, with just one win in their last six friendlies. Significant improvement is needed as they test their early EFL mettle.
Newport finished last season with nine consecutive losses. However, under new manager David Hughes, they’ve shown positive signs in pre-season, often settling matches by single-goal margins. This suggests a more stable defensive unit.
While the match might not promise an explosion of goals, Newport’s historical success at Barnet in cup competitions suggests they could edge this one. If there’s a winner in regulation time or penalties, the visitors might just find a way.
Prediction: Barnet 1-2 Newport County
