Carabao Cup 2023/2024 round one draw in full: Bristol Rovers draw Ipswich, Bristol City get Oxford United

Bristol City will entertain Oxford United at Ashton Gate, meanwhile Bristol Rovers will travel to Ipswich Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Both teams entered at the first round stage, along with 32 other teams, which included Championship, Leaue One and League Two clubs. The ties are to be played on Tuesday, August 8, or Wednesday, August 10, and Bristol’s Ballon Fiesta begins on Thursday, August 10.

It’s familiar opposition for Rovers, who faced Ipswich in the league last season, suffering defeat at Portman Road, but earning a goalless draw at the Mem. As for City, they will face Oxford in a competitive match for the first time since August 2014, which was a 2-1 win for the U’s.

Bristol City’s first-team has several former Oxford players, including summer signing Rob Dickie, as well as Ireland international Mark Sykes, and Rob Atkinson who is currently sidelined.

Should either club progress then the second round will take place on Tuesday, August 29, and Wednesday, August 29. Bristol City have an away match against Swansea City on Saturday, September 2 to follow, whilst Rovers face Lincoln City at the Mem at 3.00 pm on the same day.

A reward for progressing to the second round will be the potential of facing a Premier League team not involved in European competition. The furthest Bristol City have gone in the competition was their semi-final appearance against Manchester City, which was the third time they’d reached that stage. Bristol Rovers’ best run was a quarter-final run in 1971/72.

The wait for a Bristol Derby goes on after the two teams avoided each other in the draw. Bristol City beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 in the EFL Trophy on September 4, 2013, and since then the two have not played each other, owing to the two teams playing in different divisions.

Manchester United won the 2022/23 edition, beating Newcastle United 2-0 in February, thanks to first-half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. This will be the 64th edition of the trophy, with Liverpool having won it the most times (nine).

Carabao Cup 2023/24 Round One draw

South

Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient

Forest Green Rovers v Portsmouth

Swansea City v Northampton Town

Exeter City v Crawley Town

Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers

Newport County v Charlton Athletic

Stevenage v Watford

Cheltenham Town v Birmingham City

Sutton United v Cambridge United

MK Dons v Wycombe Wanderers

Millwall v Reading

AFC Wimbledon v Coventry City

Bristol City v Oxford United

Gillingham v Southampton

QPR v Norwich City

Peterborough United v Swindon Town

Cardiff v Colchester

North

Notts County v Lincoln City

Bolton Wanderers v Barrow

Hull City v Doncaster Rovers

Mansfield Town v Grimsby Town

Stoke City v West Brom

Sheffield Wednesday v Stockport County

Leeds United v Shrewsbury Town

Preston North End v Salford CIty

Rotherham United v Morecambe

Harrogate Town v Carlisle United

Burton Albion v Leicester City

Accrington Stanley v Bradford City

Derby County v Blackpool

Port Vale v Fleetwod Town

Barnsley v Tranmere Rovers

Blackburn Rovers v Walsall

Huddersfield Town v Middlesbrough

Wrexham v Wigan Athletic

Sunderland v Crewe Alexandra