MK Dons

2022 - 5 - 5

Wycombe Wanderers

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The 72 - We Love the Football League"

Wycombe Wanderers team news and predicted XI to face MK Dons (The 72 - We Love the Football League)

Wycombe Wanderers welcome MK Dons to Adams Park in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-finals this evening.

With two wins in their previous five league fixtures, the Dons missed out on automatic promotion by one point. The Chairboys will surely come into this one in high spirits, confirming a play-off place against Burton Albion last weekend. Wycombe Wanderers welcome MK Dons to Adams Park in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-finals this evening.

Who will win the League One play-offs? Sheffield Wednesday ... (Sunderland Echo)

The League One play-offs get under way on Thursday – but what can we expect from the semi-final match-ups? · Sign up to our Sunderland AFC newsletter · MK DONS – ...

JN: “Ross Stewart was named the supporters’ player of the year and has scored 24 league goals this campaign. He leads in assists, passes, key passes and dribbles, and as the club's main creator he is integral to the whole way that Wednesday play. “I think Neil will give Sunderland a very good chance of winning promotion. “We're third in the form table when looking at the last 10 games, with only one loss, but we've been a lot better at home this season than we have away. They are going into the play-offs full of confidence, but this is a different competition to the league, and nothing is guaranteed.” JN: “Confidence was on the floor when Neil took charge. He has scored 16 league goals for Wycombe this season, in what has been a brilliant first year at the club. Aside from two disappointing defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford in the run-in, ending their 15-match unbeaten run, they bounced back with wins over Morecambe and a 5-0 crushing of Plymouth on the final day. The good run of form will no doubt help Wanderers but it’s anyone’s game. He has been in superb shape in the last few weeks, finding another level at the right time. Ainsworth has worked wonders and it’s no surprise that he’s been linked with other jobs.” TL: “Dons head into the play-offs in excellent shape.

Wycombe Wanderers vs MK Dons - Dons unchanged for Wycombe ... (Milton Keynes Citizen)

It is unchanged for MK Dons from the weekend as David Kasumu keeps his spot in the centre of the park alongside Josh McEachran and Conor Coventry.

Neither side really in any sort of control, but the bubbling atmosphere is really helping Wycombe. FULL TIME: Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 MK Dons MK Dons are in action against Wycombe Wanderers this evening in the first leg of the play-offs

“I can't really look past MK Dons” – Wycombe v MK Dons: Who wins ... (Football League World)

Football League World writers offer their verdict on tonight's League One play-off clash between Wycombe Wanderers and MK Dons.

Wycombe are in excellent form themselves though, unbeaten in their last 12, and will be keen to make an impression in front of their own support, but MK Dons may have just enough to claim a slender advantage here. Admittedly, Wycombe do have home advantage this evening, but it should be remembered that Plymouth were excellent at home for much of this season, but were still swept aside 5-0 by the Dons on the final day of the regular season, to end the Pilgrims’ hopes of a play-off place. Wycombe will be on a high after getting themselves into the top six shootout but I just think MK have that little bit extra stardust and I am backing them all the way in the play-offs this season.

What channel is Wycombe Wanderers v MK Dons on? How to watch ... (Yorkshire Post)

Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth insists the whole squad are “buzzing” as they prepare for the first leg of their Sky Bet League One play-off ...

Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event will broadcast the action with coverage starting at 7pm on Main Event with Sky Sports Football showing build-up from 7.30pm. The fixture kicks off at 7.45pm. The fixture can also be streamed by non-Sky Sports customers on NOW TV, with a 24-hour pass for all Sky Sports channels costing £11.99. After seeing off Fleetwood, Wycombe went on to beat Oxford in the final at an empty Wembley to reach the second tier for the first time but were then relegated again - and they now seek an immediate return to the Championship.

Wycombe Wanderers v MK Dons: Ainsworth can conjure up another ... (Betting.betfair)

Alan Dudman enjoyed a profitable League One season and ended last weekend on a high with four winners. His playoff previews start on Thursday and he is ...

Both of those opponents are "passing teams", but Wycombe were fantastic in the first-leg two seasons ago with a performance of such high energy and desire. Left-back Joe Jacobson is always worth a second look for Wycombe with his deadly corners and magic wand of a left-foot. Long-range pot-shots could be the norm, and that's not a bad price as the youngster is pretty deadly. Eighty nine points were accrued for the campaign, and to finish with 89 and miss out on automatic promotion seems a touch unlucky, but the standard in the top six has been excellent. Wycombe ended the season strongly with a run of 12 unbeaten despite a wobble, and for a while before Christmas were storming the division. And if there was passes market, Dons would be 1/100. The antepost tip of 15.014/1 hit a low of 1.331/3 during their golden run, and was a real blow to see them finish second behind Wigan. It's far too short for a game at this level, so value seekers might be edging towards the Under 1.5 Goals which trades at 2.962/1. They did meet in the Papa John's Trophy too with a 2-1 scoreline, but those games are largely meaningless. Wycombe are appearing in their sixth EFL play-off campaign, reaching the final in three of those (1994, 2015, 2020) and managing promotion in two (1994, 2020). Under Gareth Ainsworth and despite losing on penalties in the 2015 final, the Chairboys have never lost a play-off game (W4 D2). That shows a good mentality, so it's where I am heading for the bet on Thursday. However, they saved one of their most devastating performances for the final day of season with a sensational 0-5 win at Plymouth. The majestic Twine bagged four goals and also hit the woodwork, and this was in the teeth of a red-hot atmosphere against a side that were not only progressive, but also one that had a shot of the playoffs if they won. Wycombe are appearing in their sixth EFL play-off campaign, reaching the final in three of those (1994, 2015, 2020) and managing promotion in two (1994, 2020). Under Gareth Ainsworth and despite losing on penalties in the 2015 final, the Chairboys have never lost a play-off game (W4 D2).

10 League Titles And a Concrete Cow: Previewing the League One ... (The Analyst)

The first legs of the semi-finals start tonight at Adams Park when Wycombe take on MK Dons, followed by Sunderland hosting Sheffield Wednesday 24 hours later.

Holding the third tier’s second-best home record in 2021-22 (51 points from a possible 69) and set to be roared on by the biggest crowd of the semi-finals, Sunderland ought to be confident of taking a lead to Hillsborough for the second leg. Like Wycombe, they scored a solitary penalty in the regular season – with their total of 78 goals bettered only by Sunderland (79), Oxford United and champions Wigan Athletic (both 82). That, paired with a joint-second best defensive record of 44 goals conceded, would appear to make them the most balanced team in the League One play-offs – on paper. Among those successes were crucial comebacks against Fleetwood Town and Portsmouth in the final two matches as Darren Moore’s men showed the kind of character which stands you in good stead come the play-offs. They are also effective from distance too, with a total of 14 long range goals only beaten in the EFL this season by Stoke City in the Championship and… The brilliantly-nicknamed ‘Loch Ness Drogba’ has proved suitably monstrous this season, banging in 24 goals to finish second to Will Keane (26) in the Golden Boot race. A modern-day club legend, Barry Bannan has inspired his side this season as skipper and string-puller-in-chief. The Black Cats should beware the curse of the red and white stripes, though. And that’s before you even consider his exceptional ability when it comes to flick-ons in dangerous areas; only one striker (Vadaine Oliver of relegated Gillingham) to contest 50 or more aerial duels in the regular season won a higher proportion than Vokes’ 57.1%. They’ve been accused of ‘anti-football’ by many a snob, but aesthetic appeal isn’t a priority for Wycombe – and why should it be when their provenly effective approach has just yielded their highest-ever third-tier points tally (83) and seen them finish as joint-fourth top scorers with 75 goals (of which only one was a penalty)? They have committed a league-high 588 fouls (in stark contrast to MK Dons’ league-low 393), but they’re niggly rather than nasty, averaging a yellow card only every 8.1 fouls (the second-highest bookings to fouls ratio in the division). It also saw them keep 18 clean sheets (enough for goalkeeper, pundit and philanthropist David Stockdale to share the Golden Glove award) – seven of which came during the aforementioned undefeated streak, including a still-active six in a row at home. In an October interview with The Athletic, Manning labelled his footballing philosophy “extreme” for League One – and it’s not hard to see what he meant. Wycombe and Wednesday are looking for an immediate return to the second tier after relegation last season, while Sunderland are desperate to end four years of purgatory in the third tier. Rescued from a miserable stint at Stoke City, Sam Vokes arrived at Adams Park last summer as one of the most high-profile signings Wycombe have ever made.