Cambridge United will be bidding to take a huge step towards securing their status in League One for the 2024-25 campaign when they head to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.
The visitors are currently 18th in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone, while the hosts sit 15th, boasting 54 points from their 43 league matches in 2023-24.
Match preview
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Bristol Rovers finished 17th in League One last season on their return to the third tier, and they have been able to make it back-to-back campaigns at this level of football.
Indeed, a relatively solid campaign to date has seen them win 15, draw nine and lose 19 of their 43 league games to collect 54 points, which is enough for 15th spot in the table.
The Pirates brought a seven-game winless run into their clash with Cheltenham Town on Saturday but managed to record a 3-1 victory, with the success proving to be their first in the league since the start of March.
Matt Taylor's side have picked up 27 points from their 21 home matches this season, and they will be welcoming a Cambridge outfit with the second-worst away record in the third tier in 2023-24.
Bristol Rovers have another three league matches this season, welcoming Peterborough United in their penultimate fixture on April 20 before heading to Wigan Athletic at the end of the month.
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Cambridge, meanwhile, have boosted their hopes of staying in the division with a strong run, picking up seven points from their last four matches, including a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Garry Monk's side recorded two huge victories over Barnsley and Wigan before losing narrowly at Blackpool in their second match of April, but they collected a welcome point at home to Charlton last time out.
Cambridge sit 18th in the table, boasting 46 points from their 42 matches, which has left them six points ahead of 21st-placed Port Vale, who have played a game more, so they are now in a strong position when it comes to avoiding relegation to League Two.
The visitors will actually be looking to make it a league double over Bristol Rovers this season, having recorded a 2-0 victory when the two teams locked horns for the reverse game back in August.
However, Cambridge suffered a 2-1 defeat when they travelled to the Memorial Stadium for the corresponding match during the 2022-23 campaign.
Team News
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Bristol Rovers will be without the services of Grant Ward on Tuesday, as the midfielder was forced off through injury in the early stages of the success over Cheltenham.
Brandon Aguilera netted in a strong performance off the bench, and it is likely to be a straight swap for this match, as he replaced Ward in the 22nd minute of Saturday's fixture.
Head coach Taylor will need to make a check on the fitness of his players due to the quick turnaround, but aside from Ward, there are not believed to be any problems, and Chris Martin, who has 15 league goals this season, is again set to lead the line for the home side.
As for Cambridge, Elias Kachunga and Macauley Bonne came into the side against Charlton on Saturday and are likely to retain their spots for this contest.
Zeno Ibsen Rossi impressed on his first league start of the season, meanwhile, and the defender should also keep hold of his position, with head coach Monk potentially naming an unchanged side.
Gassan Yahyai has scored 10 league goals during an impressive campaign, and the 23-year-old will again feature in the final third of the field on Tuesday night.
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Cox; Hunt, Wilson, Baggott, Vale; Aguilera, Rossiter; Thomas, Evans, Sinclair; Ward
Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Mannion; Jobe, Rossi, Andrew; Bennett, Digby, Cousins, Gibbons; Kachunga; Bonne, Yahyai
We say: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Cambridge United
Cambridge's recent performances have been impressive, and we are backing them to pick up another positive result on Tuesday despite their poor away form. Bristol Rovers do not have an awful lot to play for at this stage, and the hosts might have to settle for a share of the spoils here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
