The Grecians host the 2013 FA Cup winners, Wigan, on Saturday in Round 1. The two sides met four matches ago, with the Tics claiming a 2-0 victory.
Exeter
After a promising start to the League One campaign, Exeter have gone eight games without a victory and they have struggled to mirror those early season performances. The Grecians sit in 17th place after 15 matches, picking up just 17 points. The main problem that Gary Caldwell must solve is in the attacking third, with his side only netting 12 times all season. However, they don’t boast a terrible goals conceded record, shipping an average per game of 1.27 per game.
Exeter have the third worst home record in League One and their recent match in the EFL Cup against Middlesbrough ended in a 3-2 defeat. Ryan Trevitt scored a brace on the night and he opened the scoring early on. The visitors took the lead just before the hour mark, but Exeter responded swiftly. An 82nd minute penalty decided the tie.
Wigan
Shaun Maloney’s side have been in good form as of late, winning three of their last four. Without the -8 point deduction, Wigan would be in the top half the of the table, but instead they sit in 19th. On a per game basis, the Latics score 1.53 goals and concede 1.33. Furthermore, they have only failed to score once in eight away fixtures this season.
Last time out, Wigan suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Charlton. The hosts started extremely slowly and they were dominated in the first half, going into the break 3-0 down. Maloney’s side showed fight in the second half but when they breached the visitors defence, it was too late.
Verdict?
Exeter have not been struggling for creativity lately, but confidence in front of goal is low. Wigan will be desperate to get back on track and progress in the FA Cup.
The final prediction is Exeter 1-2 Wigan.
