After comfortably beating local rivals Mansfield on Tuesday night at Field Mill, City will return to Sincil Bank this Saturday to face relegation strugglers Burton Albion.
Burton Albion Form
Burton are currently sitting in 21st position in the table, two points from safety. The Brewers’ recent form however does not represent their position in the table, with the Brewers proving to be formidable opponents for any side they come up against.
The Brewers were one of the winners of the January transfer window, adding former Iceland international striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson from Wrexham on a short-term deal. The attacker has already netted four goals. James Jones also moved from the Red Dragons. They also added plenty of players on loan, with Fabio Tavares, Kyran Lofthouse, JJ McKiernan and Owen Dodgson moving from Coventry City, Barnsley, the Imps, and Burnley, respectively.
Gary Bowyer’s men started a run of only one loss in eight matches with a 1-1 draw against Crawley Town before winning three successive games against Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United and Reading, netting nine goals. Two draws followed against Barnsley and Blackpool to get Burton within touching distance of the teams above them.
The Brewers’ first loss in over a month came away in Bristol Rovers, suffering a 3-1 loss at the Memorial Stadium. However, Burton quickly bounced back, securing a crucial three points with an away win against Stevenage, bringing them within two points of safety. Charlie Webster scored the goal just before half-time, receiving a pass from Rumarn Burrell inside the box and firing the ball through the legs of Lewis Freestone into the corner of the net.
Burton Albion Tactics
Often setting up in a 3-5-2 formation, Burton Albion like to attack from the left side and use long balls to quickly move up the field. The Brewers tend to play wide to stretch the opposition’s defence and frequently make use of counter-attacking opportunities. Bowyer sometimes relies on his fast wingers to create opportunities, but now with an added threat in Bödvarsson up front, Albion can opt to hit the target man.
Burton’s likely Starting XI for today’s clash is: GK – Crocombe – DC – Armer – DC – Sweeney – DC Godwin-Malife – LWB – Dodgson – CM – Webster – CM – Lofthouse – CM – Jones – RWB – Williams – ST – Bödvarsson – ST – Burrell
However, they have issues keeping possession of the ball and defending against long shots. They also struggle with through balls, set pieces, and aerial duels.
Team News
Gary Bowyer will be forced into at least one change from the team that started in the Stevenage win after Terence Vancooten was sent off and suspended. In his absence, Udoka Godwin-Malife could move into the back three, with Dylan Williams possibly making a rare start on the right.
Lincoln will likely be unchanged from the team that swept Mansfield aside midweek. Joe Gardner remains side-lined after his three-match ban. Forwards Bailey Cadamarteri and Tyler Walker are side-lined due to injuries and are expected to be out for an extended period. Additionally, Ethan Erhahon is facing several weeks on the sidelines. To make matters worse for Lincoln, creative midfielder Jack Moylan has also joined the injury list after rolling his ankle during City’s away victory against Northampton.
Match Referee
REFEREE: RUEBYN RICARDO
Linesmen: Jack Nield and Jonathan Wyatt
Fourth Official: Melissa Burgin
Newly promoted referee Ruebyn Ricardo will officiate City’s match against Burton Albion this weekend. The young referee has quickly risen through the ranks and is highly regarded by the PGMOL officials.
Ricardo has officiated 25 games in the EFL and National League this season, during which he has issued 120 yellow cards and 3 red cards. He only refereed one match involving the Imps in the 2024/2025 season, which was a 1-0 home defeat to Chesterfield in the Vetru Trophy in September.
Previous Meetings
After losing four straight league games against Burton Albion between January 2022 and October 2023, City have since won each of their last two against the Brewers. In our last two meetings with the East Staffordshire outfit at Sincil Bank, we have lost 1-0 twice. The first was a dead rubber at the back end of the 22/23 season, but the other indirectly cost Mark Kennedy his job.
The Brewers and The Imps last faced off in the opening game week of this season. A Paudie O’Connor brace and a Tendayi Darikwa debut goal helped Lincoln to a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Pirelli Stadium, one which saw us get off to a winning start.
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