Southampton continues their search for a FA Cup win this week when they face off third-tier Shrewsbury in the third tie round. The match schedules for Tuesday at St. Mary’s Stadium, with kickoff at 11 pm.
The original fixture was scheduled for Saturday but was later postponed after a coronavirus outbreak at Shrewsbury camp. Whichever side proceeds past this stage will face off against Arsenal four days later.
For a while, Southampton looked close to receive a goodbye to the fourth round as a result of the coronavirus outbreak at Shrewsbury. However, both the Football Association and Premier League worked to find a solution. The match might come unideal for Ralph Hasenhuttl, who had to postpone their match against Leeds United on Wednesday.
The side head into the cup-tie on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday evening. It took strikes for James Maddison and Hashley Barnes to end the Saint’s three-match unbeaten streak without conceding.
The Shrews had to go through rounds to make it this far in the competition. The side had to see off a 2-0 win at Cambridge and 1-0 against Oxford City after extra time. The side’s last competitive match dates back to December 29 with a 1-0 victory against Blackpool. The side is currently unbeaten in five without four of the matches with a 1-0 scoreline.
Southampton vs. Shrewsbury Head to Head
Both sides have not met yet at this stage of the competition, and Tuesday marks their first time. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Leicester City 2-0 Southampton
Southampton 1-0 Liverpool
Southampton 0-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
Southampton 0-1 Manchester City
Away
Shrewsbury 1-0 Blackpool
Wigan Athletic 1-1 Shrewsbury
Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Shrewsbury
Lincoln City 0-1 Shrewsbury
Hull City 0-1 Shrewsbury
Southampton Team News
The likes of Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard are likely to get the evening off. We expect massive changes to the starting XI this Tuesday, with Nathan Tella, who made five substitutes this season, likely to feature.
Shrewsbury Town Team News
Team manager Cotterill is one of the 20 members of both the playing and coaching staff to have contracted coronavirus. There are several players available after returning to field training earlier this week. Leon Clarke keeps pushing for a spot with Daniel Udoh, likely to get a start.
Prediction and Odds
With a lack of game time in three weeks for the away team, we expect the home side to shine this week.
Southampton Win
Goals Over 2.5
Away: No Score
