Colchester United is set to face Brentford in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday. The two sides met at JobServe Community in August 2022, with Brentford winning the match. However, this is a better Colchester side than two years ago, according to Richard Cole, Playmaker Stats. Colchester has had some big moments in this competition before, including a quarter-final appearance in the 2019/20 season. They defeated Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace on penalties, but their cup run eventually ended at Old Trafford with a 3-0 defeat. Colchester finished sixth in League Two that season but couldn't make it past Exeter City in the play-off semi-final. Since then, they have had to worry more about relegation, but there are better things expected from the Essex club this season. With one win and two defeats from their first three League Two games, Colchester is 17th in the league table, but their stats so far suggest that may just be temporary. Danny Cowley's team has the fourth-highest pass success rate in League Two, and they have the joint-third number of tackles per game on average. Going forward, the stats are interesting, with Colchester averaging six shots on target per game, but they have scored just four goals so far in the league this season. Colchester made it to this stage by defeating League One side Reading, and they shouldn't be underestimated. The U's had taken a 2-0 goal lead against the Royals thanks to Tom Hopper's early header from a corner before Jack Payne added from the penalty spot. Payne is one to look out for, as the midfielder has already scored two and assisted three in four games so far this season. Brentford will also have to be careful when defending set-pieces, but they may also get some joy from their own. Both of Reading's goals came from set-pieces, and Colchester will need to improve their defense in this area. Ultimately, Colchester is capable of causing an upset on their day, and Brentford will know not to underestimate the League Two side.