Cambridge United vs Macclesfield Predictions

It was a fantastic midweek for Cambridge, who got just their third win of the season away at Swindon in a 2-0 win. Reggie Lambe and Jevani Brown scored within a minute of each other during the first half to take control of the match. Although Swindon started to dominate from then on, Cambridge held on resolutely to claim all three points and cap off what has been a great seven days for them.

Last weekend, Cambridge drew 1-1 away with league leaders Lincoln to spark what has now become a mini-revival. The hosts played for 70 minutes with ten men but Cambridge played well before then, equalising five minutes after Lincoln had scored early on, with Jevani Brown getting the first of his consecutive goals. After the sending over, Cambridge dominated but could not find a way through the Lincoln defence. However, the experience of dominating the best team in the league for most of a match must have sparked the confidence of Cambridge.

Before then, Cambridge had shown their fragility and lack of composure in matches. They had gone 2-0 and 1-0 up in games against Newport and Forest Green Rovers but went on to lose comfortably in both matches. Performances against MK Dons and Crawley saw Cambridge dominate the match yet fail to score in either due to some woeful finishing. Now with a draw and win under their belts against strong sides in the league, the hope should be that Cambridge can kick on and rise up the table.

In contrast, Macclesfield responded to their first win of the season in the worst way possible, being thrashed by Northampton at home. It was yet another humiliating performance after that 8-0 defeat to West Ham. The visitors were 4-0 up at half time as Macclesfield crumbled. Whilst Northampton only scored once in the second half, Macclesfield could only muster two shots on target. It means they are five points off safety and look destined to be relegated.

It had been so promising after the club picked up their first win of the season at home to Carlisle. It meant Macclesfield did not break a Football League record and go 37 games without a win in divisional football. The team had shown great character to come from two goals down and get the win, with Michael Rose and Peter Vincenti getting the all-important goals.

It had looked like the club could recover and perform consistently to this level in the aftermath of former manager Mark Yates’ sacking. They had also done reasonably well in a 1-0 away defeat to Tranmere, with the hosts only winning through a late goal. However, the first-half performance against Northampton was pathetic and it could be a long season for Macclesfield based on that, as well as their failure to win any of their first 13 league matches.

Indeed, we think Cambridge can continue their resurgence with a win against a Macclesfield side who will be devoid of confidence after their last display. It is a home match and the fans will be revitalised after two impressive away performances, thus, the game is Cambridge’s to lose. However, having not won a home match since their first one against Notts County, it could take a while for Cambridge to kick into gear, so backing a 2-0 win instead of a higher figure seems appropriate.