- Cambridge United have won two and drawn two of their last five League Two fixtures.
- Crewe Alexandra have won one of their last five League Two matches, losing the last three.
Cambridge United to edge another away victory
Cambridge United were 2-1 winners at home when these sides met in League Two five months ago, and the Sky Blues look likely to take all the points in Saturday’s reverse fixture at Crewe Alexandra.
Cambridge sit 3rd in the table with 81 points from 45 games, while Crewe are 10th with 66 from the same number of matches, and the visitors are in much better form than their hosts going into the clash.
United have drawn both of their last two away matches, while Crewe have lost three on the bounce after a run of one win in five. The Railwaymen have a good home record in the fourth tier, but have won just 12 of their 22 matches at Gresty Road.
Cambridge are superior on many levels
While Cambridge are still fifteen points ahead of the Alex, they are very different beasts under Neil Harris, whose pragmatic approach prioritises structure over style and has clearly stabilised the club since his appointment. Harris’s men use their 3-5-2 system to create width with their wing-backs, and the two strikers play a vital role in creating a compact defensive shape by running into the channels in front of them on the counter-attack.
Lee Bell’s Crewe are the polar opposite. The Alex boss is an academy man who believes in playing on the front foot with the ball and they often do this with their 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formations, in which they push the ball forward from the midfield with energy and forward runs. It should be a clash of styles on Saturday, and we think the pragmatism and solidity of the visitors will win the day.
Goals likely, but only one team to score
With Cambridge’s superior form, position and defensive solidity, they are the clear favourites here at 16/25, so we’ll have a flutter on Over 2.5 goals at 49/50 and Both Teams to Score - No at 39/50.
Cambridge are a disciplined side, but they will get their chances against an attack-minded Crewe. With James Gibbons in form, he has three of the team’s last eight goals.
Crewe’s best forward is Josh March, who has 11 goals in 39 League Two games. Ben Knight has 11 goals in 35 League Two matches, but he is consistently on the mark when he plays up front.
