Two former Championship teams will collide for the first time this season on Saturday, as both Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday continue to adjust to life in League One.
Each team have suffered relegation and are looking to bounce back immediately and with both of them currently sitting in playoff positions, there is no shortage of confidence within the squads.
Match preview
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Rotherham will welcome Wednesday to the New York Stadium, as they aim to continue building momentum following their 1-0 victory against Morecambe in their previous outing.
The Millers responded perfectly to consecutive losses by defeating the Shrimps, with Michael Smith's goal being enough to secure the three points as well as their second clean sheet of the season.
Paul Warne's squad kickstarted the season impressively at home by defeating Plymouth Argyle 2-0, in what proved to be the perfect season opener for them.
However, they were then knocked out of the EFL Cup away at Accrington Stanley, which was immediately followed by another defeat against Wigan Athletic.
It has led to a rather inconsistent start to this campaign, but with six points on the board already, Rotherham are currently in sixth place, which the squad will be pleased with.
Last season the two teams collided in the Championship and despite the fact they both ended up relegated, Rotherham were able to take six points from the Owls.
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Despite being knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalties by local rivals Huddersfield Town on the opening game of the season, life in League One has been going well for Wednesday.
The Owls have been undefeated so far in the league, which has placed them in fourth with seven points, and as one of the favourites to be involved in the battle for promotion, that is expected by the fans.
Defensively, Wednesday have been very impressive, having not conceded a goal all season, including the defeat to the Terriers which went to penalties following a goalless draw.
Darren Moore's team being tough to break down has proven to be vital so far, with club captain Barry Bannan also putting together some great performances in the third tier, which has seen him get off the mark in terms of goals.
Wednesday will be hopeful of continuing their impressive run of form as they look to push towards the automatic places in the league, while putting some distance between themselves and the chasing pack, which includes their opponents.
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Team News
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Callum Paterson was able to make his return to the squad for the victory against Fleetwood Town following a head injury, but considering the fact Lee Gregory scored on his full debut, it is likely he will retain his place in the team.
The dynamic partnership of Bannan and Dennis Adeniran has proven to be impactful so far in League One, which is likely to continue on Saturday, but there could be a defensive blow after Sam Hutchinson limped off during the most recent game.
However, Owls fans hoping to see Josh Windass back on the pitch will have to wait a little longer, as the attacking midfielder has confirmed on social media that he is out of action until at least the end of October.
For the Millers, Freddie Ladapo returned to training this week after the forward had been feeling unwell with tonsilitis, and Warne has confirmed that he is set to be involved on Saturday, although that could be from the bench.
However, Rotherham have Smith available to lead the line and after finding the back of the net against Morecambe, he will have plenty of confidence heading into the weekend.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Ihiekwe, Edmonds-Green, Harding; Rathbone, Ferguson, Ogbene, Lindsay, Wiles; Smith, Kayode
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Peacock-Farrell; Hunt, Iorfa, Dunkley, Palmer; Wing, Byers, Bannan; Adeniran, Johnson, Gregory
We say: Rotherham United 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday have proven themselves to be defensively sound so far this season and the fact they are so tough to score past is going to make life very difficult for the Millers.
With the Owls having plenty of confidence and a more attacking side, they should have enough to earn another three points here in what will surely be a tough test.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sheffield Wednesday win with a probability of 40.83%. A win for Rotherham United had a probability of 31.35% and a draw had a probability of 27.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sheffield Wednesday win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.1%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.32%) and 0-2 (7.71%). The likeliest Rotherham United win was 1-0 (10.26%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.07%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with a 7.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Sheffield Wednesday would win this match.
