Sitting level on 19 points in the top six of the League One table, Huddersfield Town and Exeter City will do battle in an important contest at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts have moved back into the division's leading pack with a victory and a draw since the October international break, leapfrogging their visitors who saw a five-match unbeaten streak come to an end on Tuesday.
Match preview
© Imago
Huddersfield Town return to action at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday aiming to extend their unbeaten streak to four matches and narrow the gap to League One's automatic promotion spots.
Following their relegation from the Championship and the summer appointment of Michael Duff, they have experienced a mixed start to their promotion bid, amassing 19 points from their first 12 outings to sit fifth.
After enjoying a near-perfect opening run, the Terriers suffered four straight defeats between mid-September and the beginning of October, but they have been able to bounce back since, initially recording a pair of 2-0 wins over Barnsley prior to the recent international break to take three points in League One and the EFL Trophy.
Duff's men then marked their return at the weekend with a 3-1 home triumph over Bristol Rovers, having gone three goals ahead through Matty Pearson, Callum Marshall and Bojan Radulovic, before most recently visiting second-placed Wrexham on Tuesday and making it three league games unbeaten with a creditable goalless draw.
Having now moved back up to fifth spot in England's third tier and within four points of the top three and five of the top two, Huddersfield Town will hope to continue their improvement with another victory on Saturday.
In their way stand a visiting side who will also hope to strengthen their standing in the playoff spots after suffering a setback last time out.
Exeter City headed into the second international break of the season in a pleasing position, having earned 16 points from their first nine outings, largely thanks to an eye-catching defensive record with just six goals conceded in those games.
The Grecians continued a fine run on their return to action, making it five games unbeaten including four victories and five straight clean sheets in a trip to Shrewsbury Town last Thursday, as Kamari Doyle and Josh Magennis fired them to a 2-0 win at New Meadow.
A meeting with Reading at St James Park then followed on Tuesday, and Gary Caldwell's side failed to continue their hot streak, instead succumbing to a fourth defeat of the campaign, having fallen 2-0 down and failed to find a leveller after Ilmari Niskanen halved the deficit on the hour mark.
Still with positives to take from that display and their fine run since mid-September, Exeter City will bid to bounce back to winning ways and take a major scalp at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday.
Team News
© Imago
Michael Duff only made one enforced change to his Huddersfield Town team for Tuesday's trip to Wrexham after their win over Bristol Rovers, and we should see a similar starting XI at the weekend, with goalkeeper Lee Nicholls and right-back Lasse Sorensen remaining sidelined alongside Josh Koroma and Michal Helik.
In Nicholls's absence, Jacob Chapman will continue to deputise between the sticks behind a back three of Matty Pearson, Tom Lees and Nigel Lonwijk, while Oliver Turton will again line up on the right-hand side of their 3-5-2 shape in Sorensen's place.
Antony Evans and Jonathan Hogg will compete for midfield spots, but Duff may stick with the trio of Ben Wiles, David Kasumu and Herbie Kane, while Callum Marshall and Bojan Radulovic should again get the nod to lead the line.
Gary Caldwell could make several changes to the Exeter City side which lost to Reading in midweek, with Josh Magennis, Millenic Alli and Kamari Doyle all competing to return to the attack from the outset.
Indeed, they may all come in and displace Jack Aitchison, Mustapha Carayol and Sonny Cox to complete a front four alongside Ilmari Niskanen in their 4-2-3-1 setup.
Elsewhere, Ed Francis and Ryan Woods are bound to continue in front of an unchanged back four of Jack McMillan, Pierce Sweeney, Tristan Crama and Johnly Yfeko, while goalkeeper Joe Whitworth has impressed since arriving on loan from Crystal Palace.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Chapman; Pearson, Lees, Lonwijk; Turton, Kasumu, Wiles, Kane, Miller; Radulovic, Marshall
Exeter City possible starting lineup:
Whitworth; McMillan, Sweeney, Crama, Yfeko; Woods, Francis; Niskanen, Alli, Doyle; Magennis
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Exeter City
Exeter City have shown their quality in the early stages of the League One campaign, particularly at the back, but having rebuilt some momentum, Huddersfield Town should have enough to see their visitors off at the John Smith's Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
