Millwall and Wigan Athletic meet on Tuesday night in a must-win game for both teams in their relegation showdown at The Den.
The two sides are equal on 36 points as they languish in 22nd and 23rd place respectively in the Championship table in dire need of a victory to close the gap to Rotherham United and safety.
Millwall
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The Lions got their campaign off to the perfect start in August as they took six points from their first two matches against Leeds United and Fulham, but that seems a distant memory now as the club are staring down the barrel of relegation.
Millwall mustered just seven wins in the league under the tenure of Ian Holloway, which saw him sacked in March and replaced by Neil Harris on an interim basis until the end of the campaign with the unenviable task of guiding the club to safety.
Harris has helped his side pick up one victory in their 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic two weeks ago, which was their first victory since February, to give them a lifeline in their battle against the drop, but further wins will be needed to overhaul Rotherham.
The Lions' main problem this season has been their lack of goals as they have mustered just 35 in their 41 matches this season.
Only Blackpool have scored fewer in the division, as Lee Gregory is the team's top scorer with just six goals in the league, while Ricardo Fuller and Magaye Gueye have netted four times in the Championship this season.
Life isn't much better at the other end of the pitch as the club have conceded 67 goals, the fourth-highest total in the league, although surprisingly they have managed to keep 13 clean sheets despite their struggles this season.
The Lions will have to improve their home form in their final two matches at The Den this season as only Wigan have taken fewer points from their home matches in the campaign. The club have won just once in front of their supporters since October and that will have to change for them to survive.
A victory over the Latics would close the gap to the Millers to four points pending the result of Steve Evans's side's clash against Fulham on Wednesday, but Harris's men do have game in hand over their rivals.
Recent form: LLDDWL
Wigan
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Gary Caldwell got off to a good start in his first game in charge as his side rallied twice from behind to take a point from their clash against Fulham.
The Latics still have a massive challenge to avoid the drop from the Championship as they sit 23rd in the table, seven points adrift of safety with just four games remaining in their campaign.
Supporters of Wigan could have not have expected their fall from grace as the club competed for a return for the Premier League last season when they reached the playoffs, where they were defeated by Queens Park Rangers in the semi-finals.
Wigan have struggled throughout the season as they languished in the bottom half of the table since the start of the campaign, and have been unable to reverse their fortunes despite changing their manager twice as Uwe Rosler and Malky Mackay have both been fired by the club.
Their main issue this season has been their form at the DW Stadium where they have picked up just 14 points out of a possible 63, which has included just two victories. Frustratingly for the Latics if their home form had matched their performances on the road they would be out of the bottom three.
The Latics' prowess in front of goal is another reason for their predicament as they have netted just 37 times in their 42 matches this season. This is highlighted by the fact that James McClean is the club's top scorer with six goals to his name.
Caldwell is in dire need of other contributors to help him fire the team out of the bottom three, starting against the Lions.
Recent form: WLDLLD
Team News
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Millwall defender Jos Hooiveld could miss the showdown as he picked up a knock in training, which will force him into having a late fitness test at The Den.
Paris Cowan-Hall could feature along with Lee Martin and Nicky Bailey, but Carlos Edwards is ruled out with a knee injury.
Don Cowie and Andrew Taylor could return to the Wigan team after spells on the sidelines, while Jermaine Pennant is expected to overcome a hamstring problem to play in the crucial clash.
Long-term absentees Grant Holt and Emyr Huws are also out of the match due to knee and ankle injuries.
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Forde, Cummings, Nelson, Beevers, Harding, Upson, Abdou, Williams, Woolford, O'Brien, Gregory
Wigan possible starting lineup:
Carson, Maguire, McClean, Pennant, Kim, Boyce, Bong, Perch, Pearce, Fortune, Kvist
Head To Head
The match between the two sides earlier this season finished in a goalless draw at the DW Stadium as neither side could find a breakthrough in the 90 minutes.
The Lions recorded a league double over the Latics in the fixture last season as they notched 2-1 and 1-0 victories.
Millwall hold the historical edge in the fixture as they have recorded 11 wins in the contest compared to the seven of Wigan, while eight games have finished in a stalemate.
We say: Millwall 1-2 Wigan
There is a great deal at stake in this match as both teams are in desperate need of the three points, and whichever team is able to handle their nerves will come out on top.
The Lions have played better football under the tenure of Harris, but Wigan looked reinvigorated in their 2-2 draw in Caldwell's first match last Friday.
Wigan may just have enough to seal the three points on this occasion due to their decent form on the road this season.
Simon Sinclair
