Silkeborg hosts FC Midtjylland in Monday's Danish Superliga encounter at JYSK Park.
The hosts have won back-to-back games in the relegation round but come against a club that have claimed four victories in their last five.
Match preview
Kent Nielsen's team are not in danger of relegation this season but could target a third consecutive victory in their season's penultimate game on Monday.
The long-serving manager had seen his side go over two months without a league win until May 14's 1-0 triumph over Lyngby.
That success was followed by another 1-0 triumph against Horsens on May 19, and Silkeborg could record three league victories in succession for the first time since August 2022.
Having failed to keep a league clean sheet since September 2022 — a 1-0 victory over AGF — two on the trot feels like an anomaly for a club that went eight months without one.
They have failed to win three of their four games at JYSK Park in the relegation round, even if they claimed three points in their recent encounter with Lyngby.
As for Midtjylland, they have been this section's best side, claiming four wins from five, although there was a surprising 2-1 loss to Lyngby to prevent a run of five consecutive victories.
Unlike Silkeborg, who have counted on their defensive strength for points recently, the Jutland-based club have been free-scoring in the competition, finding the back of the net at least twice in four of those victories.
The Wolves have netted in each of their last 10 league games, and that tendency to score against their opponent gives them a chance of beating any outfit they square up with.
Interestingly, Midtjylland's loss at Lyngby at the start of May remains their only road reverse of the campaign, a statistic that probably gives them the edge on Monday.
Having netted three goals in their two recent games with Silkeborg — it ended 3-3 in March and 3-1 on May 1 — Thomas Thomasberg's troops should back themselves again.
Team News
Tonni Adamsen is Silkeborg's top scorer this season, but the striker has not scored in over a month for the home side, leaving the marksman on 10 goals.
Nielson is not expected to deviate from the team's 4-3-2-1 approach against Midtjylland.
The visitors have utilised a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 in their last two fixtures, having hitherto deployed a 4-3-1-2, perhaps leaving the home side guessing.
Gustav Isaksen has netted eight goals (and provided three assists) in his last nine Midtjylland appearances, making him the go-to player for the away side on Monday.
Silkeborg possible starting lineup:
Larsen; Sonne, Salquist, Busch, Engel; Mattsson, Brink, Christensen; Tengstedt, Thordarson; Adamsen
FC Midtjylland possible starting lineup:
Lossl; Dalsgaard, Gartenmann, Juninho, Paulinho; Sorensen, Martinez, Olsson, Simsir; Isaksen, Brumado
We say: Silkeborg 1-3 FC Midtjylland
Midtjylland have dominated this fixture in recent years, defeating Silkeborg eight times in 10 meetings, and the Wolves should make that nine victories from 11 in a high-scoring encounter at JYSK Park.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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