It is a relegation six-pointer in League One on Saturday when MK Dons welcome Cambridge United to Stadium MK.
The Dons lost their last league game, falling 1-0 to Port Vale last Saturday, and Cambridge played out a 1-1 draw with Morecambe at Abbey Stadium.
Match preview
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MK Dons have had a tough year in League Two, where the threat of relegation from the third tier looms large for the side from Buckinghamshire.
They go into this weekend's game with Cambridge third-bottom and four points from safety, with the campaign now past its halfway point.
All the more worrying for Mark Jackson is the team's unimpressive form for most of the 2022-23 season, with the ongoing winless run now at six games.
The Dons' last victory came in a 2-0 triumph at Bristol Rovers at the start of February, but that success has not been the fillip supporters of the club desired.
Only two wins have been picked up from their last 13 fixtures, with eight defeats showing an inability to get the required results to avoid relegation to League Two, a disappointment for a side that finished last season in third place.
Having played two games more than Accrington Stanley — the side they trail by four points — 22nd-placed MK Dons have little margin for error in their battle for survival.
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Facing Cambridge this weekend, in theory, pits Jackson's men against a side of similar technical quality, even though this weekend's visitors come into Saturday's game in slightly better form than the side a place above them in the standings.
The Yellows are second-bottom, level on points with the Dons and four points from leaving the dreaded bottom four.
Cambridge's last league success came on February 18, a 1-0 defeat of an Oxford United side that have gone on to lose four on the trot.
Mark Bonner's side have managed four points from an available 15, outdoing the team they visit this weekend but nowhere near enough to leave the relegation zone.
An extensive look at their results since the turn of the year validates this assertion, with last month's triumph at Oxford the club's only victory since the start of January.
Altogether, six points have been accumulated by the Yellows in 2023, only outranking the competition's cellar-dwelling outfit Forest Green, whose three points in the New Year have come on the back of as many draws.
For a side that won four of their opening seven games of the season — including the 1-0 win over MK Dons in their season opener — Cambridge's four victories in the subsequent 28 matches highlight their struggle to preserve the club's League One status.
Both sides recognise the value of a positive result at Stadium MK on Saturday, with a victory potentially becoming the springboard for a strong finish in the season's denouement.
Team News
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Jackson switched to a 5-3-2 last time out but should revert to his preferred 4-2-3-1 on Saturday.
Mohamed Eisa's contributions in 2023 have been pivotal in wins over Forest Green and Bristol Rovers, making the forward the side's primary threat this weekend.
Adam May remains Bonner's long-term absentee, with the cruciate ligament injury ruling out the Cambridge midfielder for the season.
The Yellows have switched to a 3-4-1-2 since the turn of the year, and that approach is expected to be utilised in Buckinghamshire.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Watson, Tucker, Jules, Lawrence; Maghoma, McEachran; Kaikai, Robson, Leko; Eisa
Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Mitov; Morrison, Bennett, Jones; Bennett, McGrandles, Digby, Brophy; Lankester; Ironside, Smith
We say: MK Dons 0-0 Cambridge United
MK Dons have scored one goal in their last five games at Stadium MK, while Cambridge have netted once in their recent seven fixtures on the road.
A goalless encounter could be in the offing for these out-of-form sides.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
