Wigan Athletic could confirm their promotion to the Championship if they win against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Tuesday evening.
The possibility is dependent on results elsewhere too, but the hosts will be looking to spoil the party despite missing out on the playoff places following their defeat last time out.
Match preview
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It would have been almost impossible to achieve even if they did pull off a remarkable win away at second-placed Rotherham United on Saturday, but the 1-0 defeat meant that the top six is now mathematically out of reach for Ipswich.
Kieran McKenna's side defended solidly for large parts of their encounter at the New York Stadium, but ultimately they did not create anywhere near enough opportunities in front of goal to deserve all three points.
That has been the achilles heel that has arguably cost the Tractor Boys a place in next month's League One playoffs, with even the recent 11-match unbeaten run yielding just 12 goals scored.
One point from the last nine on offer has ultimately sealed their failed target, but a lack of creativity and clinical finishing in front of goal means Ipswich must settle for another season in the third tier once more.
McKenna will be keen for his team to finish the campaign as strongly as possible however, as he looks ahead to his first full season in charge, when Town will once again aim to return to the Championship.
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As for the visitors, a shock 2-1 defeat to Cambridge United on Saturday ultimately went unpunished, with MK Dons being downed by Sheffield Wednesday later in the day to keep Wigan's four-point advantage over their promotion rivals intact.
Rotherham's victory over Tuesday's opponents does mean that the pressure has been increased ever so slightly heading into the final few games, but with a game in hand on the Dons as well, the Latics remain in control of their own destiny.
Wigan boss Leam Richardson will be demanding a huge improvement in his side's performance levels on Tuesday however, with the league leaders putting in a below-par display against Cambridge.
Despite their visitors having little to play for, they thoroughly deserved their victory after creating the better opportunities.
Tom Naylor did manage to pull a goal back 13 minutes from time for Wigan, but after Will Keane could not find a dramatic equaliser in the closing stages, they fell to a first League One defeat in 10 matches.
Another slip-up or two in the coming weeks could eventually prove costly, but should Wigan record all three points at Portman Road and MK Dons fall to defeat at Oxford United, their return to the Championship will be officially confirmed after a turbulent couple of years.
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Team News
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Ipswich will have to make do without first-team regulars George Edmundson, Kyle Edwards and Lee Evans once again on Tuesday, with the latter likely to be missing for the remainder of the campaign.
Kayden Jackson is also unlikely to play any more part in the 2021-22 campaign, but Cameron Burgess should make a return to the three-man back line after serving his one-match suspension on Saturday.
With no fresh injury concerns to contend with, McKenna is likely to have the same squad to choose from as he did at Rotherham last time out, with the exception of Burgess.
Meanwhile, Wigan will remain without the important duo of James McClean and Curtis Tilt for the trip to Ipswich, whilst long-term absentee Charlie Wyke also continues to be a big miss.
Joe Bennett and Tom Bayliss are also labelled as doubts for visiting boss Richardson, who could revert back to a 3-4-2-1 formation after switching from a 4-2-3-1 setup at half time on Saturday.
That would likely see Jason Kerr come into the defence from the start, which would then allow Max Power to revert to his preferred central midfield role after filling it at right-back against Cambridge.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess; Burns, Bakinson, Morsy, Thompson; Chaplin, Celina; Bonne
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Amos; Kerr, Whatmough, Watts; Darikwa, Naylor, Power, Pearce; Lang, Keane; Magennis
We say: Ipswich Town 1-1 Wigan Athletic
Wigan have failed to beat Ipswich in their last nine meetings, and this looks set to be another difficult trip on Tuesday, despite their hosts having little left to play for.
The visitors appear to be stuttering over the line if their last two outings are anything to go by, so we can see this being an evenly-matched encounter that eventually finishes level between two sides high on quality.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Ipswich Town win with a probability of 36.06%. A win for Wigan Athletic had a probability of 35.59% and a draw had a probability of 28.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Ipswich Town win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.55%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (7.66%) and 2-0 (6.68%). The likeliest Wigan Athletic win was 0-1 (11.46%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.25%). The actual scoreline of 2-2 was predicted with a 4.4% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a draw in this match.
