The Plough Lane is going to be bubbling over on Saturday, August 10th, 2024 as AFC Wimbledon host Colchester United in the English League Two to kick off their respective seasons. Let’s review some key factors you may be interested in and conclude with our expert prediction for this fixture.
AFC Wimbledon: At home
AFC Wimbledon had an average 2023/2024 season, finishing 10th on the table with 65 points (27 points less than the League winners Stockport). Naturally, the objective for Johnnie Jackson and his players this season will be to do much better than last season and hope for a promotion to the EFL League One.
The preseason of AFC Wimbledon was a testament to the fact that they mean business this season; winning 3 of their 4 encounters and scoring 2 goals on average in the process. The club made some solid reinforcements and also let go of several players. Amongst the new faces, we have former Stockport County midfielder Myles Hippolyte, former Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Lewis Ward, and Matty Stevens coming in from Forest Green Rovers.
Colchester United: Visitors
Colchester United finished the 2023/24 season at the 22nd spot with 45 points, narrowly escaping relegation (just 3 points above the first relegated team). Following this nightmare, the club brought in many new players to strengthen the team. Ben Goodlife, Harry Anderson, Kien Connolly and Jogn-Kymani Gordon (from Crystal Palace) are amongst the new signees.
In this opening match against AFC Wimbledon, the task for Danny Cowley will be simply to avoid a defeat. This won’t be easy against a highly motivated Wimbledon side.
Colchester’s preseason was as disappointing as the last season; managing just 1 win in three encounters. On a good note, they scored at least a goal in each of the matches.
A Look Back: Wimbledon’s Recent Record
The head-to-head record is mixed but history suggests home advantage. Wimbledon has dominated recent meetings, winning all 4 encounters where they met each other. Most notably they won 5-3 in the last encounter with two from Josh Davison and goals from Joe Lewis and Ali Al-Hamadi. Colchester had efforts from Cameron McGeehan, Joe Taylor, and Cameron McGeehan but couldn’t match Wimbledon’s firepower.
The Prediction: A Match with Goals
Opening matches are most often slow, due to the fact that teams are testing out strategies and players are more relaxed. That said, AFC Wimbledon has proved in the preseason that they can score goals. Plus, the H-2-H stats between both teams show an average of 3 goals from the last 4 confrontations. Hence, I expect to see goals here.
The stakes are quite high for both teams, especially for AFC Wimbledon, but given the fact that they are playing at home, one would be tempted to quickly assume they will win the encounter, let’s be prudent here and wait to see if there’ll be any team news or other factors that could influence the game. There are still some couple of days left until kickoff, so be on the look for our upcoming update.
Update
The last preparatory matches of every preseason are always key and determinant of how a team starts the new league campaign. One would have thought AFC Wimbledon would keep the momentum going after winning 4 of their previous 5 matches, but that didn’t happen. AFC Wimbledon lost 1-2 to Maidenhead United on the 30th of July, then suffered another loss 0-2 to Barnet to Barnet on August 3rd. Johnie Jackson will need to make some tactical changes to avoid an early disappointment in this 2024/2024 League Two season.
On the other hand, Colchester United recorded back-to-back victories against Millwall (1-0) and Cambridge United (6-0). These results give them a big moral boost coming to the August 10th matchup against AFC Wimbledon.
I anticipate a tide game with goals from both sides but ending up in a tie. The bookie odd for a draw is at 3.646 and has value to me. If you still haven’t, make sure to register at the best betting platform now to secure the highest odds and limits on all your bets.