Charlton Athletic aiming to revitalise league form against Burton Albion

Charlton Athletic will be keen to kick start a winning streak as they host Burton Albion in Sky Bet League One.

The Addicks will come into the game at The Valley off the back of their 1-0 home victory against Gillingham on Tuesday night, with Alex Gilbey’s goal securing their first win in eight games.

Burton had suffered a similar run of form without a win before their home tie against league strugglers Fleetwood Town as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side came from two goals down to win 3-2, courtesy of Oumar Niasse’s brace and Louis Moult’s finish.

Charlton looking to build on vital victory

Charlton’s last win before their victory against the Gills came at the beginning of February when they beat fellow London side AFC Wimbledon 3-2. A run of seven games without a win would follow, with the Addicks conceding 14 goals and scoring only three themselves.

It has been a disappointing year overall for Johnnie Jackson’s side. They finished seventh and therefore just one spot outside of the play-off spots last season, but they have failed to capitalise on such a position in the current campaign.

Jackson replaced former boss Nigel Adkins in October after a dreadful start to the season, and he remains at the helm of the club for the second time.

Despite their current league position and recent form, club owner Thomas Sandgaard revealed at the start of the month that the manager is part of their long-term future.

“Johnnie is a Charlton man with all his heart and always has been.

“He and I work really well together, which goes a long way. This is a club we’re building for the long term and Johnnie is obviously a very important part of that.”

Since he replaced Adkins he has won ten of his 24 league games in charge of the south-east London outfit. He was able to guide them out of the bottom four after their dismal start, which saw them take just nine points from a possible 39 in their opening 13 games.

While their current position in the table is a far cry from where they finished last season, they are now ten points clear of the drop and with the sides below them struggling to generate form that could help guide them to safety, Charlton are pretty much certain to compete in League One again next season.

Their win against Gillingham on Tuesday night would have also calmed a lot of nerves going into the backend of the season, but they will know it is vital that they do not slip up any further in the final weeks of the campaign.

Burton battling for mid-table finish

Hasselbaink’s Burton have failed to win more then three consecutive games in the league all season. The former Netherlands, and Charlton player, is in his second spell as the manager of the Brewers, being appointed on January 1st 2021.

They currently sit 14th in the league table and recently overcame a poor run of form in which they failed to win in five league games, losing their last three before their late win against Fleetwood at the weekend.

Burton signed Niasse as a free agent in February, with the former Everton striker scoring three goals in his six games for the Brewers so far. While his impact for the side hasn’t been instant, his quality and experience leading the line could be crucial for them as they head into the latter stages of the season.

Creating a run of form hasn’t been easy for them this year, with results in the league fluctuating as the campaign has progressed. Cup runs have been non-existent too, with early exits in both the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy.

A mid-table finish is the sole focus for them for the rest of the season, and they are currently on track to finish higher than their 16th placed finish last season, as well as being just ten points off the total they reached at the end of the campaign.

While their 48 goals prove that they are not necessarily struggling in attack, their 58 conceded would suggest that their defence is something in which they need to improve on. 17 of those have come in the last five matches, conceding four and five to Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

They last featured in the Championship as far back as 2018 but league finishes since their relegation to League One have dipped since then, positioning 9th, 12th and 16th in the past three seasons.

Saturday’s game will be only the seventh ever meeting between the two sides with Charlton winning four of the previous six, including their 1-0 win over Burton in the reverse fixture in November.

As the 21/22 campaign progresses towards its final stages, a win would be crucial for both sides as they look to end the season on a high.

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