Leeds, Stoke and Villa in Coral’s crazy Capital One Cup treble

Back former League Cup winners Leeds United (in 1968), Stoke City (1972) and Aston Villa (five-time champions, most recently in 1996) to overcome their lower league opposition at an enhanced 11/2 price.

The Whites take on fellow West Yorkshire side Bradford City, the Potters host plummeted Portsmouth and Aston Villa entertain Londoners Leyton Orient in the Capital One Cup second round.

Bradford City v Leeds United
Championship side Leeds go into this battle of West Yorkshire undefeated in their last 14 head-to-heads (since 1986) with bitter rivals Bradford, now in League One. The Whites, who have won six of their previous seven against them, are a tempting 17/10 for victory in 90 minutes.

New Leeds signing Billy Sharp has netted once so far this term, and the former Southampton striker is 5/4 to get a goal anytime, or 5/1 to score first.

The duo have played each other in this competition twice before, with the Whites being victors on both occasions. They won 3-2 in 2011, and 1-0 in 1998, and you can take odds of 28/1 and 8/1 for those scorelines in Leeds’ favour again.

Stoke City v Portsmouth
It still seems surprising that these two clubs were once in the same division, even as near as 2010. However, Pompey now reside in the Football League’s bottom tier, with Stoke still impressing at the top level.

The last two times these teams met, the Potters won, and they are odds-on at 4/9 to beat their visitors in 90 minutes again.

Robert Huth was on the scoresheet last time out against the Hampshire side, and the bullish defender is a 7/1 chance to net again. Peter Crouch, meanwhile, faces his old side, and is priced at 5/1 to gte the first goal.

Aston Villa v Leyton Orient
Premier League side Villa (odds-on at 4/7 for victory in normal time) and League One’s Orient have not met in any competition since they were in the old Division Two back in 1975.

Whilst they have never faced each other in this tournament, they have gone head-to-head twice (in the same season) in the FA Cup, although way back in 1929. The score in the first game was 0-0, but Villa resoundingly beat the Londoners 8-0 in the second. Paul Lambert’s men are a tempting 27/20 to keep a clean sheet again.