Two sides who are battling for a spot in the playoffs come together at Brisbane Road on Monday afternoon as Leyton Orient face Peterborough United in League One.
The hosts are in 10th place and currently trail the playoff spots by six points, while the visitors are fourth with a seven-point lead over the chasing pack.
Match preview
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Leyton Orient are coming into this game looking to push into the playoffs as they aim to potentially make it back-to-back promotions after winning League Two last season.
If they are to make up the current six-point deficit on sixth-placed Lincoln City then they must improve upon their recent form though, as they have only taken one victory from their previous five games.
A positive run from a 2-1 victory over Exeter in early September up until a 1-0 win over Blackpool saw them lose just seven times in the 29 league matches that they played, taking them up to a season-high eighth place, however, the recent poor form has seen them drop back down to 10th place ahead of this game.
The upcoming match at Brisbane Road will serve as an opportunity for Richie Wellens's side to pick up three important points against a team firmly in the playoff positions, and potentially make up ground on those just ahead of them.
If they are to claim victory in this one then they must improve on the type of performances they have produced at home so far this campaign, as they have only managed to take 28 points from games in front of their home fans, the 14th-best of any side in the division.
That will be a tough task for the O's though, with the visitors being the fourth-best side in the league when playing on the road, picking up 34 points from 19 outings.
Peterborough have had a slight drop of form of their own in recent weeks, losing four in a row throughout February before bouncing back with six straight victories across the EFL Trophy and League One.
However, they have slumped once again with two losses in their last two outings, losing 1-0 to league leaders Portsmouth before an extremely disappointing 3-1 home loss to bottom-of-the-league Carlisle United.
Those recent results have seen the Posh drop from first place, after a victory against Shrewsbury Town in late January, to fourth in the league ahead of this match, with the potential to be drawn into the ongoing race for the playoff positions if they continue dropping points.
Peterborough have been victorious in three of the last four meetings between these two teams, albeit one of those came as a 3-0 friendly victory in 2022, and will be hopeful that they can get back to winning ways in a stadium they have not lost in since 2014.
Team News
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Leyton Orient will be without multiple players for this match, leaving Wellens with plenty to think about regarding his team selection.
Theo Archibald and Jordan Graham are set to extend their time on the sidelines, while Idris El Mizouni is a doubt after being forced off due to injury in the previous outing.
Ethan Galbraith is the most likely to fill in for Mizouni, having returned to the bench in the game against Lincoln City after serving his suspension.
As for Peterborough, they remain without Will Blackmore, Jeando Fuchs and Jacob Wakeling for this match.
Hector Kyprianou will be available for Posh though, having served his second of a two-game suspension in the last outing.
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Hunt, Beckles, Cooper, James; Pratley, Brown, Galbraith; Sanders; Sotiriou, Forde
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Steer; Katongo, Knight, Edwards, Burrows; Kyprianou, Collins; Poku, Randall, Mason-Clark; Mothersille
We say: Leyton Orient 1-1 Peterborough United
Both sides have gone through their own struggles ahead of this match and will want to ensure they get at least a point on the board as they aim for a spot in the playoffs.
The reverse fixture of this match earlier in the season saw an evenly-fought 1-1 draw, and we expect this one to end the same way.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
