Crawley vs Crewe predictions: Rampant Red Devils set for play-off delight

James Milton
Spotlight
Scott Lindsey saw his Crawley side demolish MK Dons in their League Two play-off semi-final.
Scott Lindsey saw his Crawley side demolish MK Dons in their League Two play-off semi-final.

- Crawley have won six of their last 11 games by at least a two-goal margin
- Crewe have failed to score in six of their last nine matches
- Recommended bet: Crawley -1 on handicap

The EFL play-offs are renowned for producing tense clashes between well-matched rivals, but Crawley bucked that trend in style in their League Two semi-final tie against MK Dons.

The Red Devils, who sealed their play-off spot on the final day of the regular season, beat the Dons 3-0 at home in the first leg on their way to an extraordinary 8-1 aggregate victory.

However, Crawley can take nothing for granted in the final against Crewe, who overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to knock out in-form Doncaster on penalties in the other semi-final.

Team news

Crawley's Harry Forster, Will Wright and Klaidi Lolos will be assessed after coming off injured in the second-leg win at MK Dons. Kellan Gordon, Joy Mukena and Jack Roles are pushing for starts at Wembley.

Crewe are expected to name the same team who started the second leg at Doncaster. Elliott Nevitt should lead the line despite scoring only twice in his last 10 appearances.

The stats

Six of Crawley's last nine matches have featured over 3.5 goals and the Red Devils have won six of their last 11 games by at least a two-goal margin.

Crawley have scored 19 goals in their last six games away from home.

Crewe have failed to score in six of their last nine matches and have won only three of their last 14 games in 90 minutes.

The Railwaymen have lost three of their last eight games by a 3-0 scoreline.

Prediction

Crawley and Crewe qualified for the League Two play-off final in contrasting fashion and the Red Devils have the firepower to outclass the Railwaymen at Wembley.

Crawley's late-season surge into the top seven included a 4-0 away win at Newport County and a 4-1 victory at Mansfield, who earned automatic promotion to League One.

They continued their fine goalscoring form in the play-off semi-final, claiming a well-earned 3-0 home win over fourth-placed MK Dons before a 5-1 victory in the second leg.

Crewe did the double over Crawley in the regular season, winning 4-2 in October and 1-0 in February, but the Red Devils are primed to take revenge in the most important fixture of the season.

While Crawley have turned on the style at the end of the campaign, Crewe won just two of their last 12 regular-season matches and have failed to score in six of their last nine.

They had only four shots on target in 210 minutes of the play-off semi-final tie against Doncaster, so backing Crawley to cover a one-goal handicap could prove profitable on Sunday. 

Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!

Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6! 

Tags

CrawleyCreweLeague Two