Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Blackpool are aiming to record back-to-back wins in the Championship for the first time since October on Sunday, when they travel to the John Smith's Stadium to face Huddersfield Town.

The home team are currently on a three-game unbeaten run which has left them sitting in 10th and two points behind the playoff positions, while Blackpool are placed in 13th spot.

Match preview

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Carlos Corberan's side got back to winning ways last time out after consecutive 1-1 draws at the beginning of December, coming away from Ashton Gate with a 3-2 win under their belt.

Duane Holmes, Danel Sinani and Danny Ward all netted either side of half time against Bristol City and that was the first time in 10 outings that Huddersfield had managed to score more than one goal in a single match.

The Terriers will be looking to take advantage of some of the games that have been postponed due to coronavirus, as they can leapfrog Stoke City and Coventry City, who both do not play on Boxing Day.

Huddersfield have only lost one game on home soil in their last seven matches at the John Smith's Stadium, while Blackpool are winless in their last three away matches, suggesting that form is on the Terriers' side.

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Neil Critchley's side needed to get back to winning ways last weekend after three defeats in a row, their longest losing run of the campaign, but they put that behind them with a 3-1 win over Peterborough.

The Tangerines had fallen behind in that game, but Keshi Anderson, Sonny Carey and Jerry Yates all scored at Bloomfield Road to turn the game around for the hosts, who are now five points off sixth spot.

Blackpool have managed to keep five clean sheets in 23 games this season, and that is something that Critchley will want his side to improve on if they want to push for a playoff position, in their first season back in the second tier for six seasons.

The visitors are expected to bring an attacking threat to Huddersfield on Sunday, having scored three more goals away from Bloomfield Road in one less game on the road, although, they have drawn a blank in their last two away matches.

This encounter is the second meeting between these two sides this season, and Huddersfield have the opportunity to complete the double over the Tangerines after an emphatic 3-0 win in gameweek seven in September.

Critchley's side needed a month of football back in the Championship to find their feet again in this division, therefore, the visitors are likely to pose a more difficult challenge to the Terriers this time around.

Team News

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Alex Vallejo, Pipa and Jonathan Hogg will all continue to be absent from Huddersfield's squad due to injury, with the trio expected to make their return to action in the early part of the new year.

Striker Ward has netted six times in the Championship this season, and has scored in his last two consecutive games, meaning that the 30-year-old should be full of confidence to get on the scoresheet this weekend.

After getting back to winning ways last time out, Corberan may want to field the same team that started against Bristol City, meaning that Scott High and Lewis O'Brien continue in the middle of the pitch for the hosts.

Blackpool have a whole host of players unavailable due to injury, including Grant Ward, Kevin Stewart, Luke Garbutt, Matty Virtue and Oliver Casey, who are all expected to return next month.

Right-back Jordan Gabriel came back into the side against Peterborough, and he could retain his place in the back four alongside Marvin Ekpiteta, James Husband and Reece James.

Yates would have been delighted to get on the scoresheet last time out after coming off the bench, as it was his first goal since returning from injury, but he is still likely to start on the substitutes' bench, with Shane Lavery leading the line from the first whistle.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Colwill, Lees, Pearson; Toffolo, High, O'Brien, Thomas; Sinani, Holmes; Ward

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Grimshaw; Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Husband, James; Dougall, Wintle, Bowler; Anderson, Lavery, Madine

We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Blackpool

Both teams enter this game after a positive result last weekend, and they are quite evenly positioned in the Championship table, suggesting that this encounter will be a close affair.

Blackpool are expected to have learned from the 3-0 defeat they suffered against the Terriers in September and that is not expected to repeat itself with both teams cancelling each other out this time around.

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