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Wigan Athletic kick off their preparations for the 2023-24 campaign when they take on Everton in a friendly at the DW Stadium on Saturday.
Having been relegated to the EFL League One last season, the goal for the Latics will be to make an immediate return to the second tier of English football.
Wigan Athletic endured a gruesome 2022-23 Championship campaign as they finished rock-bottom in the table.
Shaun Maloney’s men picked up 42 points from 46 games as they dropped to League One, despite ending the season unbeaten in four straight matches.
Since then, Wigan have brought in defenders Sean Clare and Liam Morrison from Charlton Athletic and Bayern Munich respectively as they look to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.
Elsewhere, Everton endured another turbulent Premier League campaign last season as they finished just two points above the relegation zone.
Abdoulaye Doucouré grabbed the headlines for the Toffees as he scored the all-important goal in their season-finale against Bournemouth to secure their top-flight status.
Everton kicked off their pre-season friendlies with a narrow 2-1 victory over Stade Nyonnais on July 14 and will look to build on that result.
Wigan Athletic vs Everton Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With nine wins from the last 19 meetings between the sides, Everton boasts a superior record in the history of this fixture.
- Wigan Athletic have managed just three wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on seven occasions.
- Everton are unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 games against the Latics, picking up five wins and five draws since April 2009.
- Wigan have lost just one of their last eight home matches since the start of February while claiming three wins and four draws in that time.
- The Toffees are unbeaten in five successive away matches, claiming two wins and three draws since April’s 2-0 loss at Manchester United.
Wigan Athletic vs Everton Prediction
Wigan will be looking to begin their pre-season on a high and set the pace for the new League One season. However, Everton head into the weekend with high spirits following a solid team performance against Stade Nyonnais.
We predict an entertaining contest at the DW Stadium, with the visitors picking up a close win.
Prediction: Wigan Athletic 1-2 Everton
Wigan Athletic vs Everton Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Everton
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in five of their last six meetings)
Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have also been three or more goals scored in four of the last five clashes between the teams)
