Wigan Athletic
- Reappointed Wigan Athletic manager Gary Caldwell has installed a more structured and defensively solid system since taking over the Latics in February 2026.
- The Latics sit 18th in the league table on 49 points from 41 games, while Saturday’s visitors Mansfield Town are 12th, on 53 points from 39 matches, making for a close mid-table matchup.
- Wigan Athletic have won two, tied two and lost one of their last five games, losing 3-0 at Reading before getting a solid 3-1 win at Northampton Town.
- Charlie Hughes, a rock in the backline, is a key component of this pragmatic system and allows Caldwell’s men to press high up the field.
Mansfield Town
- Mansfield Town have been a tough team to beat since Nigel Clough took over in November 2020, with his physical, organised and pragmatic setup allowing them to be compact in their mid-block, counter-attack effectively, and be efficient from set-pieces.
- Mansfield have won five, tied seven and lost six of their 18 away games in League One 2025/2026, scoring an average of 1.00 goals per game on their travels.
- Mansfield Town have picked up 2 wins and 3 draws in their last 5 games, a run which has left them unbeaten.
Head-to-Head
This fixture has ended in draws in their last two meetings, including a 1-1 stalemate when the sides met at the One Call Stadium five months ago, and the Latics have been winless in this fixture at home.
Key Players
- Joe Taylor has been in fine form for Wigan recently, netting two goals in the Latics' last five, and he leads their forward line with 13 goals from 35 League One appearances this season.
- Lucas Akins, a physical presence up front, has netted three of Mansfield’s last nine goals and is another man in fine form for the Stags, but with 8 goals from 38 appearances, Will Evans is still their most prolific attacker.
Betting Insights
Both teams have been good defensively of late, and we’re taking Both teams to score - No and Under 2.5 goals to round out our selections.
Prediction
Both teams have been hard to separate recently, and with the recent head-to-head suggesting they’re unlikely to be separated, we’re going with a draw in the match odds market.
