Two sides heading in very different directions are set to meet when the high-flying Wrexham take on relegation-threatened Cambridge United at STo K Cae Ras this Saturday in League One.
The Red Dragons will be aiming for their sixth straight win across all competitions this weekend, while the U’s desperately want to avoid falling deeper into the relegation fight.
Match preview
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Phil Parkinson’s team sit second in League One right now, level on 40 points with Wycombe Wanderers after 19 games, although they have played one more match than their title challengers.
After a defeat against Dave Challinor’s Stockport County back on November 16, Wrexham have been flying with five wins running. They’ve scored seven goals and kept clean sheets in every one of those matches.
The defensive strength they’ve shown is clear since they hold the best record at the back in the league, having conceded just 11 goals so far.
Still, it’s worth pointing out that Parkinson’s side have won their last four games by just a single goal each time and haven’t scored more than once in a match since beating Exeter City 3-0 back in November.
In their most recent league game, Wrexham battled tough conditions to scrape past struggling Burton Albion. Elliott Lee, who scored that day, said it showed how strong and united the squad and staff really are.
This Saturday, the Red Dragons face another tough test against a team fighting hard to stay up. It might be a tricky game where patience will be key against an opponent trying not to slip further down.
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Meanwhile, Garry Monk’s Cambridge United sit 22nd in League One-four points behind both Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic who are just outside the relegation zone.
Unlike Wrexham’s run of form, the U’s have managed only one win from their last eight matches across all competitions; they lost four times, drew three times and kept only one clean sheet during that stretch.
Despite that slump, Monk’s side pulled off a solid 4-1 win over Shrewsbury Town on December 7 in their latest league outing.
In that game Cambridge grabbed control early by scoring within the first minute of each half and raced ahead to lead 4-0 by minute 53. They did concede a late penalty goal with about twenty minutes left but held comfortably overall.
Monk praised his players after that match but said they’ll need performances like that regularly if they want to survive. Also worth remembering is Shrewsbury currently sit bottom of League One – nine points away from safety and five behind Cambridge themselves.
This weekend Cambridge go up against title-chasing Wrexham who are buzzing with confidence and aiming for Championship football next season. It’ll take something special from Monk’s men to snatch all three points here.
Wrexham League One form: br/>>br/>>br/>>br/>>br/>
Wrexham form (all competitions):
Cambridge United League One form: Cambridge United form (all competitions): Team News
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Wrexham will miss Arthur Okonkwo due to a wrist injury. Callum Burton might also be out for longer so Mark Howard is expected between the sticks.
Jack Marriott probably won’t return before year-end and James Jones’ availability for Saturday is uncertain.
James Mc Clean and George Dobson return after serving suspensions last league game.
As for Cambridge United, Josh Stokes got back into starting lineup on Tuesday after recovering from knee injury but may come off bench as he regains fitness.
Defender Jubril Okedina could start his first league match since his red card versus Bolton Wanderers last month. Shayne Lavery who bagged two goals against Shrewsbury should lead attack alongside Dan N’Lundulu and Elias Kachunga.
Wrexham possible starting lineup: Howard; Cleworth, O’Connell, Brunt; Barnett, Cannon, James, Rathbone, Mc Clean; Lee, Palmer
Cambridge United possible starting lineup: Reyes; Okedina, Rossi, Morrison, Andrew; Cousins, Smith, Brophy; Kachunga, N’Lundulu, Lavery
Our Prediction: Wrexham 2-0 Cambridge United
Wrexham might not be scoring heaps right now but they’re consistently getting good results. Against struggling Cambridge it’s likely they’ll keep up pressure near top spot while hopefully improving offensively enough for another win. For detailed stats on probable outcomes plus score predictions click here.Source link
