For much of Sunday's Championship opener at Leicester, it appeared that Coventry were going to get their campaign off to the perfect start against the title favourites.
However, despite taking the lead early in the second half through Kyle McFadzean, two late goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall earned a 2-1 victory for the Foxes.
Letting slip a lead in such circumstances will frustrate Mark Robins, who would have had the impression that his side, both new and old, had shaken off the disappointment of losing in the Championship playoff final in May.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, with the defeat down to a lack of ruthlessness in the final third more so than any obvious issues in defence.
Given the mass incomings at the Midlands outfit, this game represents an opportunity for Robins to take a look at numerous new additions, as well as getting to see which areas may need strengthening before the end of August.
From the perspective of AFC Wimbledon, a home tie in this competition is a welcome boost both in terms of finances and the fact that they had a long journey over the weekend.
Wimbledon made the 400-plus mile trip to and from Grimsby, leaving Blundell Park and returning back to base with a goalless draw for their troubles.
After finishing in 21st place in the fourth tier last season, it represents a positive start for Johnnie Jackson and his side as they look to mount a playoff bid.
Since the formation as a new club, the Dons have failed to beat Coventry in six meetings, but they have held their upcoming opponents to a draw in their last two visits to South West London.
AFC Wimbledon form (all competitions):
D
Coventry City form (all competitions):
W
Team News
Having made just two alterations during the stalemate with Grimsby, Jackson is expected to rotate many of his players from the weekend.
Given the three-day turnaround, Robins will almost certainly make mass changes, particularly in midfield and attack, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright both in contention for their first starts for Coventry.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup: Tzanev; Ogundere, Lewis, Sutcliffe, Johnson; Neufville, Ball, Pell, Tilley; Al-Hamadi, Sasu
Coventry City possible starting lineup: Collins; Thomas, Latibeaudiere, Binks; Van Ewijk, Howley, Kelly, Bidwell; Sakamoto, Godden, Wright
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-4 Coventry City
While Robins will inevitably rotate his squad for this fixture, their current strength in depth means that it should work to their advantage. Wimbledon may threaten for a time, but we feel that the Sky Blues will run out convincing winners.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Away Win:data
body check tags ::
Previews by email
Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!
amp_article__520556 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase :
last updated article - 2024-06-05 13:22:41:
html db last update - 2024-06-05 13:22:41 :
