Boxing Day can only mean one thing – the football is back.

Turkey sandwiches have been made, the roast potatoes are being reheated, and we're all eagerly waiting for our first festive fixture of the holiday season.

December 26 will see Wycombe Wanderers take on Bristol Rovers in what is their first of three games in the space of just six days, and with the Chairboys on a good run of form, can they continue their hot streak against the newly promoted Pirates?

Let’s take a look at what we can expect at Adams Park on Boxing Day.

Current Form and Background on Rovers

It has been somewhat of a roller coaster return to the third tier for Joey Barton’s men.

Following their promotion back to League One in May after a one-year absence from the division, they were sitting in the bottom four in October, after they just picked up two wins from their opening 11 games.

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This included a horrid league run of no victories in eight matches which included five defeats.

However, Bristol Rovers have turned things around and are now one of the in-form teams in the league.

Since their 2-2 away draw against West Country rivals Exeter City on October 1, they have lost just one of their last 12 league outings (a 4-2 defeat away at Derby County being the only blemish), where they have achieved six victories.

During that run, 13 of their 21 goals have come in the second half, as they sit third in the form table.

Current Form and Background on Wanderers

Despite Rovers being in very good form, Wanderers are also having a purple patch following an inconsistent first half to the 2022/23 season.

After the 1-0 loss away at Cheltenham Town on November 19, Wycombe would go on to have a two-week break in which they returned refreshed and ready.

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Since their return on December 4 against promotion-pushing Portsmouth, the Chairboys have picked up seven points from their last nine available and have kept three straight clean sheets.

Overall, the club have lost just two of their previous 11 games which has moved them from as low as 19th, to as high as seventh in just under three months.

Wycombe have also scored 19 of their 28 league goals this season in the first-half of matches.

The Last Five Meetings

2019/20: League One: Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 Bristol Rovers

2019/20: League One: Bristol Rovers 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers

2018/19: League One: Bristol Rovers 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers

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2018/19: League One: Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Bristol Rovers

2017/18: EFL Trophy: Wycombe Wanderers 1-5 Bristol Rovers

Overall Home Record Against Bristol Rovers

Games: 21

Wycombe Wanderers wins: Eight

Draws: Four

Defeats: Nine

Overall Record Against Bristol Rovers

Games: 41

Wycombe Wanderers wins: 17

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Draws: Five

Bristol Rovers wins: 19

Miscellaneous

  • The referee for teSunny Gill and this will be his first league match officiating Wycombe.
  • In his only Wanderers game where he was in charge, he administered four yellow cards in the club’s 3-0 away defeat against Stevenage in the EFL Trophy back in August – all of the cautions for the Stevenage players.
  • This will also be his first game officiating Bristol Rovers.
  • The last time Wanderers played Rovers at Adams Park, all the goals were scored in the first-half as Wycombe defeated the Pirates 3-1.
  • This was in February 2020 with Matt Bloomfield getting on the scoresheet.
  • The goal came on what was his 36th birthday and it was his final strike for the club at Adams Park.