Tranmere Rovers vs Rochdale prediction 01.08.2026 | Carabao Cup Preliminary Round

Tranmere begin their competitive campaign after claiming a 2:0 pre-season friendly win against Blackpool earlier this month.

Charlie Whitaker opened the scoring after 32 minutes before Jordan Davies added a second in the 54th minute to secure victory for Darrell Clarke’s side.

That victory ended a run of miserable form at the end of the 25/26 campaign. Rovers finished last season just two points above the relegation zone in League Two, with only one win recorded in their last five fixtures. 

Over a longer period, Tranmere lost 12 of their last 16 competitive fixtures, and they could struggle against an opponent on a high following their promotion to League Two in May.

Head coach Darrell Clarke has no reported injury issues. Experienced attacker Tom Ince is expected to make his debut after joining the club on a two-year deal.

Rochdale return to EFL Cup action after sealing promotion back to League Two last season.

Dale came through the National League play-offs in dramatic fashion, beating Boreham Wood in the final after a late fightback and penalty shootout success.

Ian Watson’s side have not been at their best in pre-season, though. Rochdale failed to win any of four pre-season fixtures, including a 3:2 defeat against Halifax earlier this week.

Frequently involved in entertaining encounters, all but one of Dale’s last nine matches finished with BTTS landing.

Watson has several new faces available this weekend. Nils Ramming has arrived on loan from Brighton, while Cian Hayes, Sam Sherring, Zain Silcott-Duberry and Laurence Maguire have also joined the club this summer.