PRESTON North End and Southampton face off in the Championship Wednesday night with both sides currently sat in a playoff place.
While the home side are without a win in the last four matches in contrast, the visitors are undefeated in the same period.
Going into Preston North Ends last match at home against Millwall, the Lilywhites had lost three matches in a row.
When taking a third-minute lead against Millwall, Preston had the chance to convert their early lead into a victory, but they ultimately had to settle for a draw against opponents who were without a permanent manager.
While Preston manager Ryan Lowe was naturally frustrated with just a point being gained at Deepdale, it can still be perceived to be a step in the right direction with the result keeping his side as high as fourth in the Championship table.
The Saints had their own rough patch not so long ago in which they lost four games on the bounce.
This run of matches had supporters having doubts over whether Russel Martin was the right appointment for the club.
Since then though Martins side have responded with ten points of a possible twelve.
Despite still possessing a negative goal difference, the South-coast outfit are positioned fifth in the table, and supporters are optimistic they can properly push for promotion now.
That being said, like in the case of Preston, one defeat can see them drop out of the promotion playoff places which highlights the importance of this fixture.
