Huddersfield Town
- Huddersfield Town have won two, tied two and lost one of their last five League One matches.
- The Terriers are in the top seven of League One and have made some ground on the automatic promotion contenders, sitting seventh with 31 points from 21 games.
- Lee Grant’s progressive blueprint for Huddersfield is to control possession and tempo, press the ball aggressively, build up the play in a structured way and get the full-backs high up the field in order to overload attacks.
Port Vale
- Port Vale have won one, tied two and lost two of their last five League One outings.
- Port Vale are at the bottom of the standings in League One with 15 points from their first 20 matches and look likely to face the drop this season.
- Vale have played with three at the back under Moore, which suits his plan to get numbers back, use the width of the wing-backs and be a threat from set-pieces.
- They have also scored a measly 0.80 goals per away match in League One, showing just how much they rely on set-piece opportunities.
Key Players
- Leo Castledine is leading the goals in the team with seven in 19 games, but he has found his shooting boots of late with three in the last five.
- Lynden Gooch has three assists in the same period from his wide playmaking role, which is where Huddersfield create so much danger.
- Devante Cole has five goals in 14 League One appearances and is the only player on the squad capable of leading the line with his physical presence and poacher’s instinct.
Betting Insights
- There is a marked difference between the two clubs in the league table, Huddersfield’s home record in League One is five wins, three draws and two defeats from ten and the hosts have the superior attacking form, so they are a clear pick for the points at 1.8.
- Port Vale are clear underdogs at 4.35 with a draw at 3.5.
- Vale will get men behind the ball and be physical, but Town should have the quality to break them down and control the pace of the game.
- Vale will be a tough nut to crack and there could be some nervy moments around the box as The Valiants are a threat from dead-ball situations.
Prediction
we’ll combine Huddersfield to win and over 2.5 goals at 1.95 in this Friday night League One fixture.
