Sheffield Wednesday will look to continue their climb towards the top six of the League One table on Tuesday, when they welcome Morecambe to Hillsborough.
The Owls reignited their claim with a 1-0 victory over fellow promotion-chasers Ipswich Town on Saturday, while their visitors picked up another valuable point in their bid for survival.
Match preview
© Reuters
While Sheffield Wednesday have impressed at points this season following their relegation from the Championship, their campaign has largely been defined by inconsistency so far as they search for an immediate return to the second tier.
Following consecutive defeats, including a 5-0 thrashing to Sunderland, and a two-week hiatus, the Owls bounced back earlier in January with a 4-2 victory over playoff-chasing Plymouth Argyle thanks to goals from Sylla Sow, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Sam Hutchinson and Josh Windass, before they were again handed a loss by Oxford United.
Despite leading twice through Barry Bannan and Windass, the Owls eventually left empty-handed as Sam Winnall headed in the decisive goal late on.
Following that disappointment, Darren Moore's men faced the tough test of a home clash against an in-form Ipswich Town side last time out, and Marvin Johnson's early goal made the difference as the South Yorkshire outfit stood strong to seal a clean sheet and a three-point haul.
As a result of that, Sheffield Wednesday have now climbed back above the Tractor Boys and up to eighth spot, within six points of the playoff spots, and they will be keen to make it back-to-back wins on Tuesday for the first time since November to continue their pursuit.
© Reuters
Morecambe arrive looking for a victory in their fight at the opposite end of the division, as they look to climb out of the relegation zone.
Following their promotion from League Two last season, the Shrimps had a tough first half to the new campaign sitting in the drop zone at the halfway mark with just 20 points from their opening 23 outings.
However, Stephen Robinson's side have enjoyed an improvement in their form since the turn of the year, having now earned eight points from their last five games to climb to 21st spot, firstly beating basement side Doncaster Rovers 4-3 and drawing with AFC Wimbledon.
After a narrow defeat to high-flying Wigan Athletic, they faced another tough test against a Wycombe side also chasing promotion, but goals from Anthony O'Connor and Jonah Ayunga saw them level the game before Cole Stockton netted a 67th-minute winner to seal a surprise 3-2 victory on home turf.
Robinson's side then met Accrington Stanley away from home on Saturday, and an Ayunga brace saw them leave with a 2-2 draw, remaining within a single point of safety, and they will be desperate to continue their improvement to give their survival chances another boost.
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
- D
- L
- W
- D
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
- D
Team News
© Reuters
After an impressive performance and result last time out, Darren Moore may field an unchanged starting XI, although competition for starting spots in the attacking line is particularly strong despite Lee Gregory's injury with Callum Paterson, Sylla Sow and Tyreece John-Jules all vying to feature from the outset.
Newly-signed defenders Harlee Dean and Jordan Storey both made their debuts for the Owls in that game, and, following their clean sheet, they should again line up in a back three with Sam Hutchinson in the absence of Chey Dunkley and Dominic Iorfa.
Captain Barry Bannan and Australia international Massimo Luongo will again be key men in the engine room with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Saturday's goalscorer Marvin Johnson again expected to feature in wing-back roles.
Morecambe attacker Jonah Ayunga will come into Tuesday's game in inspired form, having hit three goals and an assist in the last two games, including a decisive brace last time out.
He will support striker Cole Stockton, who has hit an eye-catching tally of 17 goals in 26 League One appearances so far this term.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Peacock-Farrell; Storey, Dean, Hutchinson; Mendez-Laing, Dele-Bashiru, Bannan, Luongo, Johnson; Windass, Paterson
Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Carson; Cooney, O'Connor, Bedeau, Gibson; McLoughlin, Wildig, Diagouraga; Ayunga, Stockton, Gnahoua
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Morecambe
While Morecambe arrive in improved form, we see the Owls being too strong on home turf on Tuesday night.
Moore's men will be on a high following a crucial victory over their promotion rivals on Saturday, and, with the impressive quality in their squad, they will be expected to make it two wins on the bounce.
Top tip
Sam Varley
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 Sheffield Wednesday win with a probability of 62.63%. A draw had a probability of 21.4% and a win for Morecambe had a probability of 15.98%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sheffield Wednesday win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.88%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.48%) and 2-1 (9.83%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.17%), while for a Morecambe win it was 0-1 (5.27%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with an 11.5% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Sheffield Wednesday would win this match.
