Two teams at opposite ends of the League One table will meet on Tuesday when Wycombe Wanderers welcome Fleetwood Town to Adams Park, with the hosts continuing to fight for promotion.
However, while the Chairboys are competing to be in the playoffs, the visitors find themselves at the other end of the division, currently sitting just above the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Wycombe Wanderers have the opportunity to find themselves in the playoffs by the end of play this Tuesday if they are able to take all three points, which is something that will give plenty of reasons to fight within the game.
They currently sit just three points below Plymouth Argyle, and the squad shall be hoping to close that gap with a win, but the Chairboys will need to improve on their most recent outing to achieve that.
Gareth Ainsworth's team were held to a goalless draw against Rotherham United on Saturday, although this was the second time in three games where David Stockdale was able to keep a clean sheet.
The defensive qualities of Wycombe are something that could prove to be useful as the season progresses, and they shall be hoping to maintain their home form, where the squad have only lost four games.
However, the Chairboys were not able to showcase that side of themselves when they last faced Fleetwood, as it created a six-goal thriller with the teams drawing 3-3.
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The visitors need to continue showcasing that type of fighting spirit from their previous meeting if they want to survive this season, with the club just above the relegation zone right now.
The Cod Army are only sitting outside of the bottom four because of goal difference, which adds a lot of pressure to every match they have, as a defeat could see them slip down.
Stephen Crainey's team were defeated in an end-to-end game against Burton Albion at the weekend which saw five goals take place, but even though Fleetwood led by two goals to nil at one point, they were unable to hang on.
A brace from Oumar Niasse, which featured a 90th-minute winner, and a late finish from Lewis Moult ensured that the Cod Army did not take any points, much to the frustration of the club.
The club have now gone 11 games without a victory, which is showcasing a lack of confidence within the matchday squad that they will desperately need to change.
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Team News
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Ali Al-Hamadi recently left Wycombe until the end of this season, joining Bromley on a loan deal, which means he will now be unavailable for the Chairboys.
Jordan Obita dropped out of the team on Saturday because of illness, and Tuesday night could come too soon for him to be reintroduced to the starting lineup.
Danny Andrew was unavailable at the weekend due to an injury, and that is likely going to keep him out of the team, with Barry Baggley likely keeping his role in midfield.
Fleetwood will continue to work with a defensive midfielder, hoping to provide coverage to the back four, with Dylan Boyle taking up that role within the team.
Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; McCarthy, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson; Wing, Scowen; McCleary, Horgan, Mehmeti; Vokes
Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Andrew, Johnson, Nsiala, Johnston; Boyle, Hayes, Lane, Baggley, Morris; Garner
We say: Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Fleetwood Town
On paper, the hosts head into the game as the clear favourites due to their league positioning, and the results that they have put together in recent times should give them confidence.
Wycombe Wanderers taking a comfortable victory would not be a surprise to see given how long it has been since Fleetwood Town picked up three points.
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 Wycombe Wanderers win with a probability of 63.57%. A draw had a probability of 20.7% and a win for Fleetwood Town had a probability of 15.73%.
The most likely scoreline for a Wycombe Wanderers win was 2-0 with a probability of 11.16%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (11.1%) and 2-1 (9.89%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (9.83%), while for a Fleetwood Town win it was 0-1 (4.89%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.1% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that Wycombe Wanderers would win this match.
