Papa John’s Trophy preview: AFC Wimbledon vs Sutton United
AFC Wimbledon host Sutton United at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in the round of 32 of the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night.
Wimbledon are unbeaten in their last five games and will look to take momentum into this South London Derby following their 2-0 win over Tranmere at the weekend.
The Dons topped their group in the tournament, winning two out of three games and seeing off the likes of Crawley and Aston Villa’s U21’s. They have already outperformed themselves from last season, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
The two sides have already met this season in League Two action, where Sutton were comfortable 1-0 winners. The rivals have clashed five times in their history and Wimbledon have never come out as victors.
Ayoub Assal, Wimbledon’s 20-year-old midfielder, could be the difference maker for the Dons. The English-Moroccan youngster has scored seven times in the league this season and has helped the squad climb up to 13th over recent weeks.
Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson will want to ensure his team stay focused and continue their good form, despite facing a Sutton side who claimed their first win in five games last weekend.
Sutton United qualified from the group stages in second place in their group, winning two out of three fixtures. The Yellows have struggled in front of goal this season, with their top scorer Will Randall only managing four goals in the league.
The game kicks off at 19:45 GMT on the 22/11/22.
