Two teams at opposite ends of the League One table will collide on Tuesday when league leaders Rotherham United travel to face AFC Wimbledon, who sit just above the relegation zone.
The hosts could drop down into the bottom four with a defeat, depending on other results, meanwhile, the Millers shall be trying to grow their gap at the top of the division.
Match preview
© Reuters
Wimbledon have had a difficult season so far, which is why they find themselves 20th in the league table right now that they will be hoping to improve upon in the second half of the campaign.
Right now, the club are just one point above the relegation zone, and a defeat could see them fall down into the bottom four if Morecambe are able to pick up a victory themselves.
It has been 11 games since Wimbledon last won a match, which is something that they will be keen to bring to an end as the poor form is something that is putting them under pressure.
Despite taking the lead in the third minute against Charlton Athletic in their most recent outing, Mark Robinson's team were not able to take any points as they lost 3-2.
Wimbledon also conceded three times when they last faced Rotherham United, with a brace from Michael Smith and a goal by Will Grigg proving to be too much for the team.
© Reuters
The visitors have only lost five times in the league this season, but they head into this match after winning their previous four league matches, and they have been impressive during that period.
Paul Warne's squad have not conceded a single goal in that period, showcasing the defensive qualities that the team have, with no team letting in more goals within League One.
Their performances throughout the campaign have allowed them to sit at the top of the division, and they have a six-point advantage above Wigan Athletic.
However, they will be well aware of the fact that the Latics have three games in hand on them, which is something that they will be hoping to take advantage of, and that places a lot of pressure on the Millers.
But Rotherham have won eight of their 14 matches away from home, showcasing their quality on the road, and that is something that the squad shall aim to continue.
- D
- D
- L
- D
- D
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
- W
- W
- L
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Sam Cosgrove was brought into the team immediately after joining the club in the transfer window, starting up front for Wimbledon against Charlton, but he was not able to mark the occasion with a goal.
Nathan Broome is still awaiting his debut though, after he was an unused substitute in that encounter, but he could be set to feature on Tuesday night.
Richard Wood will not be available for Rotherham in midweek after his red card in their most recent outing, meaning he will be suspended for this match on Tuesday.
Shane Ferguson was also brought back into the team during that game, and he could find himself starting once again on the left-hand side for the Millers.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Tzanev; Brown, Nightingale, Heneghan, Osew; Hartigan, Marsh; Assal, Chislett, Rudoni; Cosgrove
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Vickers; Harding, Ihiekwe, Mattock; Rathbone, Barlaser, Ogbene, Wiles, Miller; Grigg, Smith
We say: AFC Wimbledon 0-3 Rotherham United
Rotherham United are the clear favourites for this particular match, and anything other than a victory for the Millers would come as a surprise to people.
The league leaders have been dominant within the league so far, and their recent performances should have provided plenty of confidence heading into this match.
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 Rotherham United win with a probability of 58.49%. A draw had a probability of 23.7% and a win for AFC Wimbledon had a probability of 17.81%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rotherham United win was 0-1 with a probability of 13.55%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (11.6%) and 1-2 (9.56%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.16%), while for an AFC Wimbledon win it was 1-0 (6.52%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 13.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Rotherham United in this match and our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted the win for Rotherham United.
