BC26 Third Round Preview

April 10, 2026 Kuechly Oci BFFA Cup 0

Third Round Early Preview

Beedle’s Boys#2 vs. Jaysokker#21
First meeting. Highest ranked team remaining vs. the 2022 Runners-Up

Match A3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF – FPACup BestYear
Beedle’s Boys#2Lge 21st1755LWWWW_0000 – 0R3*2026*
Jaysokker#21Lge 19th1535LLWLL_0000 – 0RU2022

Although there were some close scores in the earlier gameweeks and the two sides alternated better results, more recently it has been all Beedle’s Boys. In the past seven gameweeks, the Boys have outscored Jaysokker, and in two of those they were best overall (unrivalled in GW’s 28 & 30). But that’s not to say that Jaysokker are just another average team. In that same gameweek as the Boys got their third Team of the Week award (GW28), Jaysokker were the highest-scoring losers (seventh highest-scoring overall) and were unfortunate to find themselves up against an ever-so slightly better Thrillhaus, who eeked out a win by 2 matchpoints.

But, regardless of recent Beedle dominance, we’ve seen Jaysokker outscore Beedle’s boys in a third of gameweeks and they’ve also claimed Team of the Week this season too – GW15 – does anyone remember Stallions scoring 78 and losing? That was Jaysokker. Or, more precisely, that was Fernandes (22), Semenyo (10), Senesi (9½), Pickford (9), Diallo (8½), and more. Senesi has since been replaced by Fofana; Dan Burn and Mathys Tel also join the crew. Bruno Fernandes, however, is available for both teams and unlikely to be benched as he closes in on a Premier League Assist record.

Gloopy Yarbles#11 vs. Mighty Fine#20
Fifth meeting this season; last: Gloopy 63½ – 39 Mighty Fine (GW29)

Match B3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF – FPACup BestYear
Gloopy Yarbles#11Prem6th1634WLWLL_609645½ – 696½RU2021
Mighty Fine#20Prem4th1535½DWLWL_906696½ – 645½WON2023, 2025

For most of this season, Gloopy and Mighty Fine have been scrapping over fourth place in the Premier League (with natural ambitions to return to the top three of course). Currently, Mighty Fine are winning that scuffle, even though Gloopy have scored over 100 matchpoints more, have outscored MF 18/31 times and beaten their opponents thrice in the league. But the league season is a marathon; the Cup is a different beast entirely. In the Cup, it’s all about hitting those big scores at the right time. That means planning weeks in advance, looking for your opponents weaknesses and building on your strengths (and seeing who’s playing Wolves in Cup Week).

Gloopy Yarbles have probably done more than anyone to reinvigorate their team, making over 20 transfers ahead of and since the Second Round (last 3 GW’s). Alderete, Flemming and Wan-Bissaka are among the names that were re-signed to the squad. They are joined by new arrivals Hugo Bueno, Nico O’Reilly and Beto. Only Salah and Zubimendi have made 20+ appearances for the Yarbles this season (Mateta also made 20 starts, but was dropped in GW24 in a chain that led to signing Hugo Bueno ahead of R2).

Mighty Fine have done some work picking up Gloopy Yarbles former players – Michael Keane joined their ranks last week and got stuck straight in with 7½ FPts. Neco Williams joined during the international break to replace another Yarbles former employee Wes Fofana. Man City duo Doku and Rodri also joined Mighty Fine after short spells in the Yarbles camp.

Winners of A3 & B3 will meet in the Quarter-Finals

Goleta Hotspur #22 vs. Sporting Thrillhaus #34
First meeting. Goleta’s 13th Cup tourney; Thrillhaus’ second.

Match C3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Goleta Hotspur#22Lge 27th1530½LLLLW_0000 – 0SF2023
Sporting Thrillhaus#34Lge 18th1360WWLWL_0000 – 0R3*2026*

Despite being twelve ranks apart and separated by 170 matchpoints, these two have been alternating as potential winners for this tie over the last ten weeks. Even ignoring the invalid line-up presented by Thrillhaus (Goleta still would have outscored that 10-man effort), Goleta have been the overall higher-scoring team all season (albeit since GW3 anyway), but the above shows that history goes out of the window on Cup weekend.

Both teams currently feature players that their opponents have dropped. Timber & DCL – formerly of Goleta – are now with Thrillhaus, and Lammens and Mac Allister have gone the other way. Timber, Thrillhaus’ highest-scoring player, is a doubt to start in the early Saturday game as he is working through an ankle injury but he is accompanied by William Saliba as the pair prepare to host Bournemouth. DCL (Thrillhaus) will be facing Lammens (Goleta) on Monday night when Leeds travel to Old Trafford following their own Cup victory (knocked out West Ham on penalties, Calvert-Lewin scored his PK), and Lammens is back from international duty where he helped Belgium beat USA 5-2 in a pre-World Cup friendly.

Sporting Wicker Park#15 vs. Hung Like A Bony#7
SWP face another former Cup Runner-Up.

Match D3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Sporting Wicker Park#15Champ4th1580WLLWW_706540 – 514RU2016
Hung Like A Bony#7Prem3rd1665½DWLWL_607514 – 540RU2024

Over the last three weeks we can see that Sporting Wicker Park > Hung Like A Bony – in points scored, in league form, plus they are 7-6 all-time versus H-LAB too. Both teams have been to three BFFA Cup Quarter-Finals, two Semi-Finals and one Cup Final. The winner of this tie will get their fourth BC QF and it will be against a lesser-scoring lower-league opponent.

Both now currently possess the dangerous and under-used Amad Diallo; Hung signed him to co-incide with the arrival of Michael Carrick, and Sporting Wicker picked him up last week, Karl Darlow making way for him to join. Hung also have Minteh, a player that both teams drafted, but SWP let go to re-introduce a second goalkeeper – Liverpool’s Mamardashvili (via 🔁Muniz and 🔁Ramsdale). Kudus is the latest HLAB signing, also formerly of SWP, ahead of Spurs’ visit to The Stadium of Light, and Ruben Dias was let go by SWP (and DBT in the PL) after picking up a hamstring injury against Chelsea, but was claimed by Hung weeks before his return to the City side.

Winners of C3 & D3 will meet in the Quarter-Finals

Beyer Neverleusen#25vs. Borussia Teeth#36
Borussia get back-to-back Cup matches against the fantasy mastermind behind BtB

Match E3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Beyer Neverleusen#25Prem7th1507½LLLLW_523447 – 359½WON x22017, 2021
Borussia Teeth#36Lge 29th1356½WLLLW_325359½ – 447R3*2026*

Of the 97 players that have tied their shoelaces for Beyer Neverleusen, only three have also featured in the Borussia Teeth squad this season – Tete (drafted and remains in the Borussia squad), Rutter (drafted and remains) and Emi Martinez (signed in GW6 and still at Teeth). Unfortunately for us and for Borussia Teeth, who have made it to the Third Round for the first time in their 12-year history, none of those three will be appearing in the Cup this weekend.

Teeth’s front three – Mbuemo, Neto & Schade – will be facing Darlow, Ait-Nouri and Ndiaye, albeit all three of them are on Beyer’s bench for GW32. The Premier League’s bid for a QF place will come from Cherki (facing Teeth’s ‘keeper Sanchez), and the forward pair of Bowen and Jimenez; all three were on international duty during the break.

Bigo1 #29 vs. Team Zizou #28
All L2 face-off. Bigo1 on for a Team Z whitewash (GW38)

Match F3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Bigo1#29Lge 22nd1487WLWWW_400184 – 143RU2018
Team Zizou#28Lge 26th1499LWLWL_004143 – 184R3*2026*

By far and away the closest pair of the Third Round by comparing weekly scores (lowest average difference), hints at this being a close tie. They’ve outscored each other 15 times each, matching each other in GW6 and have nearly identical total matchpoints. However, as the green gameweeks here highlight – Bigo1 have beaten Team Zizou on four occasions that the pair have previously met.

In preparation for the Third Round, Bigo1 have brought in Mitoma and Shaw. Both registered a Key Pass in the reverse fixtures, but not a lot else. Bigo1 beat Team Z 65-55 in GW29, even though Zizou scored more goals (3-1). However, over those last three weeks, in which Bigo1 won all their league games and the Second Round tie against the #1 team in the BFFA, they have had seven goals from seven different scorers. To lean in to that forward power, they have lined up in a 3-4-3 this weekend, while Team Zizou are focussing on Rice and Barry, who both scored in the reverse fixtures in January.

Winners of E3 & F3 will meet in the Quarter-Finals

Smash & Grab #13vs. El Dude Bros #27
Met in the PL last gameweek, El DB won by 5 FPts.

Match G3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Smash & Grab#13Prem9th1624LLWWL_617663 – 703WON2019
El Dude Bros#27Prem5th1506LLWWW_716703 – 663WON2022

Two more Premier League sides face-off against each other in G3, with Smash & Grab – the highest-scoring team in the bottom four of all four leagues – against mid-table El Dude Bros, who are on a four-game winning streak (Cup included). In their four league meetings, they’ve each won two, but the most recent was a five-point win for El Dude. That said, over the course of the season, Smash & Grab have bettered El DB 18/30 times, peaking with a score of 99 in GW16!

Amazingly, both teams are starting with goalkeepers that were drafted by their opponents at the start of the season – Verbruggen (now with El Dude) was drafted by Smash, but sat out both GW1 & 2 on the bench; Hermansen (now with Smash) was signed to El Dude, but only played in the first gameweek. Both teams lost their opening two games. As well as the two #1’s, Thiaw, who played one game for EDB is in the squad for S&G and Harvey Barnes (2 games for Smash) & Joachim Andersen (1 game for Smash) could now send a message by doing well for their new employers.

Preliminary Version #5vs. GoFYS #14
Played four times last year in the Championship; Prelim won three games, GoFYS won one.

Match H3RankLeaguePosFPtsFormW v OppD v OppL v OppFPF-FPACup BestYear
Preliminary Version#5Champ3rd1726WWLWW_301177 – 118QF2024
GoFYS FC#14Lge 14th1615LLWWW_103118 – 177R3*3x*

Another tasty-looking tie where the two teams have been similarly-scoring. Lots of scores in the 60’s, 70’s and both teams have enjoyed 80+ scores too. The lower-scoring side, GoFys, ranked 14th, have actually scored better than their Third Round opponents (slightly) over half the time (16/31). And both teams have impressed in recent weeks, alternating 70-something scores in the league, both winning their last two (GoFYS on a 3-win streak). Whilst not currently in the same league, Prelim do look better in the history books after beating GoFys thrice last season, compared to the one solitary win for their opponents. But with both teams pushing for promotion again, we think this match could be a barnburner this weekend!

Winners of G3 & H3 will meet in the Quarter-Finals

* Best Cup perfomance in 2026

(Ranks correct to the post-GW31 Best-ish Table)