Cambridge United's battle to escape the League One relegation zone will continue on Tuesday night, when they head to Bloomfield Road to tackle Blackpool.
The visitors are currently 23rd in the League One table, 10 points behind 20th-placed Bristol Rovers, while Blackpool occupy 11th, 12 points off the playoff spots in the third tier of English football.
Match preview
© Imago
Blackpool finished eighth in League One last season, only three points behind sixth-placed Barnsley, but it has been more difficult for the Seasiders during the 2024-25 campaign.
Indeed, Steve Bruce's side are currently 11th in the table, boasting a record of 11 wins, 15 draws and nine defeats from 35 matches, with 48 points leaving them 12 points off the playoffs spots heading for the final straight.
Losing games has not been an issue for Blackpool this term - they have simply drawn too many, sharing the points on a league-high 15 occasions, including a goalless stalemate with Peterborough United in their last game at home on March 4.
Bruce's team will enter this match off the back of an excellent win, though, recording a 3-0 victory over Barnsley on their travels, and the Seasiders have only been beaten once in the third tier of English football since Boxing Day.
Blackpool beat Cambridge United 1-0 in the corresponding match during the 2023-24 campaign, but the two teams played out a 4-4 draw when they locked horns for the reverse fixture earlier this season.
© Imago
Cambridge United recorded back-to-back wins over Stockport County and Crawley Town on February 22 and March 1, but they have lost their last two - both 1-0 - to Stevenage and Wigan Athletic.
Neil Harris's side are 23rd in the table, with a record of seven wins, eight draws and 20 defeats from 35 matches bringing them 29 points, and they are worryingly 10 points behind 20th-placed Bristol Rovers.
Cambridge United finished 18th in League One last season, but they are firmly locked in a relegation battle heading into the final stages of the campaign, and it will take some effort to escape the bottom four.
Harris's team have the worst away record in the entire division, only picking up 10 points from 18 matches, but Blackpool have only been victorious in three of their 16 home league fixtures during the 2024-25 campaign.
Team News
© Imago
Blackpool have not reported any fresh concerns from their clash with Barnsley on Saturday, and considering the nature of the performance, it would not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field.
Ashley Fletcher is Blackpool's leading goalscorer this season, finding the back of the net on eight occasions, and there will once again be a spot in the final third of the field for the 29-year-old.
Sonny Carey moved onto six goals for the campaign with his brace against Barnsley, meanwhile, and the 24-year-old will also be in the XI, as will central defender Matthew Pennington.
As for Cambridge United, Elias Kachunga and Josh Stokes have both scored six times during the 2024-25 campaign, and the pair will continue in the final third of the field for Harris's side here.
There were certainly positives to take from the narrow defeat to Wigan, especially from a defensive point of view, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field, including a position in midfield for Paul Digby.
Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Tyrer; Offiah, Pennington, Casey, Coulson; Apter, Evans, Morgan, Carey; Fletcher, Ennis
Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Bishop; Bennett, Morrison, Watts, Malone; Brophy, Cousins, Digby, Stokes; Ballard, Kachunga
We say: Blackpool 1-0 Cambridge United
Blackpool have shared the points on 11 occasions at home in League One this season, which is staggering, but Cambridge have lost 12 of their 18 on their travels, and we are expecting a narrow home success for Bruce's side on Tuesday night.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
