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Both sides have an outside chance of qualifying from the Europa League group D here. Maribor (4 points) and Wigan (5 points) are sure to go out if they draw or lose, but a win would potentially send them trough to the knockout stage, as long as Zulte loses at home to Rubin (not too likely to happen, since Rubin has already booked the 1st place).
Maribor was far from impressive in this European campaign in terms of the football they played, but somehow they managed to get some good results, like knocking out APOEL Nicosia, defeating Zulte Waregem or drawing with Rubin. The slovenians are currently leading the league with 2 points clear of the second place and one game in hand, but the level in the domestic competition is poor. The quality in the squad is modest to say the least, but Maribor showed good fighting spirit so far in Europe and can be a dangerous opponent in certain circumstances.
Wigan has been utterly disapointing this season, especially in the last few weeks. Expected to at least catch a playoff spot in the Championship, last year`s FA Cup winners are currently on 14th place in the standings and have lost their last 5 games in all competitions. Wigan`s play on the road has been particularly poor, with only 2 wins in 11 away matches in all competitions.
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The Lactics will be under new boss Uwe Rosler today after Owen Coyle`s departure. Unlike Coyle, who put much emphasis on the Europa League, the new manager has suggested that the priority at the moment is the league. He will probably rest 3-4 players today aside for the ones who are already absent: Holt, Ramis, McClean, Caldwell, Maloney, Garcia. Maribor does not have big injury worries for today.
The pitch is expected to be in bad condition, with cold weather, and this could hurt the visitors, as Wigan will probably be the team trying to keep the ball and build an attacking play. The Lactics won 3-1 in the previous meeting and deservingly so, but playing on the road in Eastern Europe is a totally different task.
I do not rate Maribor as a solid side, but I can see them getting at least a draw out of this one, and the odds are great. Wigan is not a so much better team than Maribor. They are in dreadful form, just lost their coach, they are horrible on the road, miss some players and you can expect them to struggle even more with a bad pitch and bad weather in Eastern Europe. Motivation is also not so high for the visitors, while Maribor will fight their hearts out for the opportunity of a famous win. Not lastly, if the result in Belgium between Zulte and Rubin does not go Wigan`s way (which is more than possible), you can expect the visitors to lose any kind of desire in the latter stages of the game, while, as I said, Maribor will surely fight to the end for the chance to get a result against english opposition. My tip here is Maribor double chance (+0.5 handicap): Maribor – Wigan 1-0. I have to say I am really surprised by the low odds Wigan is getting, it`s really hard to see the visitors taking a win in Slovenia at the moment.
Pick: Maribor +0,5
Odds: 1.61 @ Sbobet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 4.88
Event date: 12 December
Editor Facts
- Rostick accurately predicted the previous meeting between Wigan and Maribor
