Barrow v Aston Villa U21: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Aston Villa's Under-21s can progress to the last 32 of the EFL Trophy with a win over League Two Barrow, who are already eliminated, on Tuesday.

So far, Villa's academy side have beaten Fleetwood 3-2 in Northern Group D and, after a 1-1 draw with Bolton, they triumphed in a penalty shoot-out to pick up a bonus point in their second game to leave them top of the table on five points.

A win over Barrow, who have lost to Bolton and Fleetwood, would therefore seal top spot and a place in the next stage.

Barrow v Aston Villa U21 betting tips and predictions

Aston Villa U21 to win - 21/10

Villa's youngsters have enjoyed themselves in this competition so far and up against a Barrow team that has no chance of qualifying out of the group they can secure another impressive victory.

A win for Villa's Under-21s would seal top spot ahead of either Bolton or Fleetwood, who also face each other on Tuesday.

The Premier League academy team started the group with a 3-2 win at Fleetwood when they were boosted by the inclusion of first-team stars Emiliano Buendia, who scored twice, and Ross Barkley in the starting line-up.

They then picked up an impressive 1-1 draw at Bolton without any recognised senior players involved and secured a valuable extra point by winning the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4-1.

Barrow boss Stephen Clemence could use the tie to give some of his own youngsters and fringe players a run-out and that could further enhance the visitors' chances of victory at Holker Street.

Barrow are 11th in League Two but are without a win in their last seven games in all competitions, a run that includes a 3-2 home defeat to Bolton and a 3-0 loss at Fleetwood in the EFL Trophy.

Over 2.5 goals - 8/15

There have been plenty of goals in both sides' matches in Group D so far with only Villa's 1-1 draw at Bolton failing to deliver more than 2.5 goals.

An entertaining evening looks to be on the cards as Barrow will surely go for goals as they hope to finish on a high with a victory, while Villa have the incentive to secure a place in the next round.

In contrast to their EFL Trophy form, Villa's Under-21s have been struggling in Premier League 2 this season, losing their last four games in that competition under the guidance of coach Josep Gombau.

However, they have scored in all four matches and they have all been goal-laden affairs with Villa Under-21s losing 4-1 to Manchester City U21s, 3-2 to Newcastle U21s, 4-2 to Middlesbrough U21s and, most recently, 3-1 to Leicester U21s.

Aston Villa U21s to score in first half - 11/10

As they look to pick up another win to seal top spot in the group, the visitors seem good value at 11/10 to be on the scoresheet in the first 45 minutes against their League Two opponents.

Villa's youngsters have been good in the first half in both of their group games so far and they will aim to get off to a good start on Tuesday as well.

Villa U21s scored twice in the first half against Fleetwood and they were 1-0 up at the break against Bolton, who had to rely on a late equaliser to force the penalty shoot-out.

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site

Barrow v Aston Villa U21 odds

Barrow - 9/10
Draw - 14/5
Aston Villa U21 - 21/10

View the full market and more odds for Barrow v Aston Villa U21 on site

Read Barrow v Aston Villa U21 how to watch, live stream, TV channel, kick-off time, and more on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.