Two teams at opposite ends of the Championship will collide on Wednesday when Coventry City make the trip to Deepdale Stadium, where a victory could put them into second place.
Preston North End have not had as much success so far this season, and they will be hoping to get back on track as the Lilywhites have not won in the league across their last seven matches.
Match preview
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Preston North End currently find themselves just four points above the relegation zone after winning only two games in the Championship so far.
It has been a difficult start to the campaign and they are currently on a seven-match streak without a win in the league, which is something they desperately need to bring to an end.
This is Frankie McAvoy's first season in charge of Preston from the start, having taken charge back in May, but he will be hoping to see some improvements from his team in midweek.
However, even though they are in a tough spell at the moment, the Lilywhites have only lost once across that period, drawing the other six games, including their most recent outing against Derby County.
The squad have also managed to keep three clean sheets in this run as well, showcasing that they are capable of shutting teams out, which they will need to do on Wednesday.
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Last season Preston were able to take six points from their two encounters with Coventry, but this time around the fixture is sure to be a lot tougher.
After finishing 16th in the table at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, three places below their opponents, the Sky Blues have started far more confidently, finding themselves in a playoff position.
The visitors have won seven out of their opening 12 matches, but their form across their five previous fixtures has taken a dip, securing three points on just two occasions.
Coventry were held to a 2-2 draw on Saturday when they travelled to face Blackburn Rovers, but Mark Robins saw his team fight back from a losing position to secure a point.
The Sky Blues fell behind in the first half, but Tyler Walker helped to get them back into the game before an own goal from Thomas Kaminski ensured the spoils would be shared.
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Team News
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Preston North End are expected to welcome back Sean Maguire on Wednesday, who will provide an added attacking option to the Lilywhites, while Ali McCann could also be an option following an ankle problem.
Coventry will likely be without Viktor Gyokeres at the weekend after he suffered an injury during the draw against Blackburn, with his ankle being a concern at the moment.
This could provide an opportunity for Martyn Waghorn to start after he made his return on Saturday following a positive COVID-19 test.
Gustavo Hamer was also back in the squad at the weekend following his fitness issues, and he featured from the bench, although neither Josh Pask nor Declan Drysdale were available.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Storey, Bauer, Hughes; Van Den Berg, Ledson, Browne, Earl, Johnson; Riis, Maguire
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Moore; Hyam, McFadzean, Rose; Dabo, Kelly, Sheaf, Kane, O'Hare; Waghorn, Walker
We say: Preston North End 0-2 Coventry City
Preston North End have been picking up a lot of draws lately, but this is going to be a tough fixture for them to take anything from due to the confidence of the visitors.
Coventry have the possibility of going into second place in midweek and it is unlikely that they will be letting that slide.
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 Preston North End win with a probability of 40.67%. A win for Coventry City had a probability of 31.14% and a draw had a probability of 28.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Preston North End win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.48%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.21%) and 2-0 (7.79%). The likeliest Coventry City win was 0-1 (10.55%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.16%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with an 8.2% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Preston North End would win this match.
