Championship Tips: Improving Potters to leave Deepdale with a share of the spoils | OneFootball

Preston vs Stoke - PNE's collapse to continue

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Preston are on a downward trajectory. Just like this season, they are ending the campaign poorly, and there is a small chance that they could still be sucked into a relegation battle. They are underperforming, losing five of their last six games. The goals have dried up, with just two in the last six, and they have become a bit of a soft touch. Andy Moran, who was signed in January, has played just 92 minutes, and Callum Lang, who cost over a million pounds, is out for the season. Paul Heckingbottom's squad is lacking depth, and the fans have requested a little more planning this summer.

At Deepdale, they've struggled; they've collected just four points from a possible 18, and the atmosphere may turn sour if they concede early.

Stoke have seemingly got through their sticky pitch, emerging relatively unscathed on the other side. Although their promotion hopes have been blown, the performances have been a little more entertaining lately. Mark Robins' side are still exceptionally poor on the road, but this may be the ideal away trip for the Staffordshire outfit. They've rediscovered their mojo in the final third, scoring six goals across their last two games, albeit both were at home.

They have more firepower, with the likes of Milan Smit and Million Manhoef combining effectively.

Blackburn vs Middlesbrough - Boro to bounce back from Bristol City disappointment

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Blackburn collected maximum points last weekend despite falling behind at the Den. Rovers have a fantastic recent record against the Lions, and they were also helped by Zak Sturge's dubious red card. Under Michael O'Neill, they have undoubtedly improved with a 3-1-3 record and 1.11 PPG under the Northern Irishman.

At home, they have been fairly tricky to beat, losing just two of their last seven, both by a single goal margin. They aren't easily breached here, with only three sides scoring 2+ goals at this venue since the beginning of November. They will not make it easy for the visitors and may follow the blueprint of Charlton and Oxford, both of whom set up to frustrate and block Boro.

Once again, the Teessiders were left disappointed with their inability to convert chances. Their home form is a little concerning, yet they've been far more effective and decisive on the road. They've eased past Birmingham, QPR and Sheffield United and player-for-player, they should stroll to victory.

Nevertheless, Kim Hellberg's side needs to improve their accuracy and must find a way to successfully break down stubborn opposition. This may not be straightforward, but they should eventually find a way through.

Derby vs Birmingham - Rams to take advantage of Brum's soft underbelly

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Just four points separate Birmingham and Derby in the Championship table, yet Brum's play-offs aspirations have been largely extinguished. Although they can still reach the top six mathematically, their fans acknowledge that the performances have not been good enough and they wouldn't have enough quality to navigate their way through the play-offs should they somehow make it.

Their home form has been more than acceptable, yet their away form has been underwhelming. They have suffered back-to-back away defeats, and although they enjoyed a decent run of form on the road earlier this year, two of their three victories came against struggling sides.

Derby picked up three points on Monday night to keep their top six hopes alive. John Eustace's men were excellent at the back, led by Matt Clarke, who appears to be back to his talismanic best. They are a robust outfit that has several skilful players in the final third, able to conjure up individual moments of quality. They do have injury issues, and their third-choice goalkeeper will be deployed once again, but they should have enough quality to take something from this lunchtime fixture.

The Rams are also highly effective from set-pieces, netting 19 times from such situations. Only Millwall, Coventry and Southampton have a better record, and Birmingham lost to all three of these sides on the road.

Ipswich vs Millwall - Points shared in Suffolk

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Ipswich have lost just twice so far in 2026 and the Tractor Boys managed to close the gap on Middlesbrough to just two points with a victory last weekend. Portman Road has been a fortress this season, and opposition teams have found it very tricky to score against them. Only Leicester, and Oxford have managed to find a way past them since New Year's Day and Millwall, despite sitting just below their hosts in the table, cannot afford to waste any opportunities here.

It finished 0-0 when these two sides met on Boxing Day and the stakes are even higher for this second meeting of the season.

Zak Struge's red card has been overturned following a successful appeal and the defender will be eligible for this game. With Caleb Taylor also rumoured to be returning to the XI, the Lions will be sturdy, and resilient. Alex Neil will have a plan, and his side have lost back-to-back games just once so far this season.

Only Hull and Middlesbrough have collected more points on the road than the Bermondsey outfit and there is a chance that they walk away from this tough away trip with a point. They should get to half-time on level terms at the very least.

Bristol City vs West Brom - Baggies to bounce out of the relegation zone

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Bristol City managed to stay in the game and take a point from Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last weekend. It was an important point as it stopped the rot, yet it merely papers over the cracks. Gerhard Struber has cut a frustrated figures in his press conferences, and the fans are frustrated by the lack of investment in the playing squad.

The Robins home form is poor and they've lost three of their last four at this ground. Facing a side that is fighting for every ball and have a modicum of momentum is far from ideal for a side desperately lacking defenders. Although Neto Borges will return to the XI, they will be relying on Noah Eile and, potentially, midfielder Jason Knight to fill in at centre back once again. Although they did an admirable job last weekend, their side faced 19 shots, including seven on target and an xG of 2.72.

WBA are unbeaten in three coming into this fixture, and a victory here could potentially propel them out of the bottom four. James Morrison has managed to galvanise the previously listless Baggies, with the team-bonding trip to the Spa seemingly having the desired effect. They netted three times last weekend, and unusually for them, they have conceded just twice in the last 270 minutes of Championship football.

They should have far more purpose and motivation than the out-of-form hosts.

Charlton vs Norwich - Addicks to frustrate injury-hit Canaries

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Charlton have an eight point cushion on the bottom four, and the general consensus is that the Addicks will have enough to survive this season. They are unbeaten in five of their last six, and have won two of their last three, which includes a backs-to-the-wall performance at the Riverside Stadium.

Goals have been an issue this season, with only two teams, including Sheffield Wednesday, scoring fewer from open play. They've netted just a single first half goal since January 4th, with fans being made to wait until the second 45 for a semblance of excitement.

Nevertheless, this squad are always up for the battle under Nathan Jones, and they aren't easily breached. They've gone into the break level in six of the last seven, and have kept three clean sheets in their last five home games.

Norwich were defeated at Southampton in midweek - continuing their wretched record at St. Mary's - and will be keen to bounce back here. Unfortunately, the Canaries have serious injury issues and will use the upcoming international break to give the squad a much-needed rest. The left-back merry-go-round will continue here, and with a half-fit Mathias Kvistgaarden expected to lead the line for the second time in four days, they may struggle to break down the Charlton defence.

Norwich do not concede many goals and this game should be tight and low-scoring.

Hull vs Sheffield Wednesday - Entertaining contest at the MKM

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By their own high standards, Hull are going through an untimely blip. Anyone who studies the xG tables will tell you that it is merely a reversion to the mean, and that the Tigers have been overperforming all season, picking up results which belie the data. Nevertheless, the men from Humberside actually failed to win the reverse fixture, giving away cheap goals and being forced to come back from 2-1 down.

Games at the MKM have certainly been memorable in 2026, with the last four producing a total of 19 goals. Clean sheets have been hard to come by, despite Ivor Pandur's best efforts, and a clean sheet in this game is far from guaranteed.

Sheffield Wednesday have been showing a little more adventure recently, and in Jerry Yates, they have a goalscoring threat. They've found the net in three of their last four games and will fancy their chances of troubling the Tigers once again.

QPR vs Portsmouth - BTTS in West London

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QPR answered their critics with a surprising 3-1 victory at struggling Leicester. Julian Stephan, who had been questioned by some fans prior to that success, praised his side's character and personality, highlighting their ability to bounce back after falling behind. The hosts had been handy at home during 2025, but they've lost four of their last five here, and it's hard to trust such an inconsistent outfit to back up last weekend's result.

They still have numerous injuries and defensively, they remain suspect. They've conceded at least one first-half goal in each of their seven games, with the opening goal coming within the first 20 minutes in each of their last five.

Portsmouth have been dragged back into trouble. John Mousinho's side appeared to have given themselves some breathing space, yet the form of West Brom and Oxford, coupled with a downturn in their own results, has them nervously glancing over their shoulders.

Pompey have the makings of a solid side, but a lack of potency is holding them back. They've netted just twice across their last five matches and Colby Bishop has struggled in front of goal. Nevertheless, they've found the net in six of their last seven away games and they should be afforded a few opportunities at Loftus Road.

Sheffield United vs Wrexham - High-energy encounter at Bramall Lane

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Sheffield United fans are already starting to think about next season. It's been a topsy-turvy season for the Steel City club, which has been plagued by inconsistencies. Their home form has been much better since Chris Wilder was re-appointed, yet they've won just one of their last four here, and that came against their struggling city rivals.

Keeping clean sheets has been an issue with the hosts having taken the lead in three of their last five matches, and subsequently failing to see the job through. They haven't managed to keep a home clean sheet since beating Birmingham 3-0 on December 20th, although they have hosted both Coventry and Middlesbrough here at Bramall Lane.

Wrexham looked tired and leggy in midweek, with their hectic schedule seemingly catching up on them. With injuries in key positions, they have been forced to name Zak Vyner and Lewis O'Brien as a central midfield partnership for the second consecutive outing. They made mistakes at the back, yet they have enough quality to impact the game at the other end of the pitch.

They were able to introduce Jay Rodriguez, Issa Kabore and the former Sheffield Wednesday duo Baily Cadamarteri and Josh Windass from the bench, and they should have enough firepower in reserve to test the home defence.

Southampton vs Oxford - Saints to dent Oxford's survival bid

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Southampton's victory on Wednesday night moved them into the top six and extended their unbeaten run to 11 games. Tonda Eckert's side are coming to boil at the perfect time, and they will have their eye on out-of-form Hull, who sit directly above them.

The fixture list has thrown up a second successive home game, albeit a potentially tricky assignment against a side who are fighting relegation. Daniel Peretz kept them in the game during the second half of their midweek success, but the Saints have multiple attacking options, including Finn Azaz who was instrumental on Wednesday night. The combination of James Bree and Kuryu Matsuki has been effective down the right-hand side, and they have plenty of options on the bench, such as Tom Fellows and Cameron Archer.

A lot of the praise is lavished on their attacking players, yet they've also been effective at the back here. Norwich, QPR, Sheffield United, Millwall and Watford have all failed to score here in 2026, and Oxford may add their name to that list.

The Yellows are dragging themselves towards safety, and they must keep the momentum going here. Although they recently won at Deepdale, their away form has been fairly indifferent, although they managed to contain both Coventry and Middlesbrough. They will scrap and battle and make it difficult for the in-form hosts.

Watford vs Leicester - Lively affair at Vicarage Road

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Watford kept their faint play-off hopes alive on Tuesday night, and they will fancy their chances of taking something from this winnable-looking fixture. The Hornets were excellent throughout the 90 minutes with Giorgi Chakvetadze orchestrating matters on the left, alongside the classy Imran Louza and the experienced Edo Kayembe. Mattie Pollock was excellent at the back, although his partner Saba Goglichidze struggling to match those levels.

The Hornets are well-drilled under Ed Still and have won three of their last six. They are frustratingly inconsistently, but should they somehow creep into the play-offs, they are likely to be dangerous and unpredictable opposition for the other three teams.

Leicester's survival hopes took a significant dent last weekend as their first-half lead was extinguished by QPR. Gary Rowett's side have been better on the road and they are unbeaten in four of their last five. Although their defending is questionable at times, they carry a significant threat, especially with Jordan James back in the XI.

They haven't drawn a blank on the road since late November, and they are likely to find the net once again this weekend.

Swansea vs Coventry - Highly entertaining teatime viewing in South Wales

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Swansea had plenty of possession at the Racecourse Ground, yet they created very little and were easily beaten. At home, it's a completely different story with the Welsh outfit unbeaten here since the end of November. They've become incredibly hard to breach, conceding just four times in ten home games, yet, the majority of those games have been against bottom-half opposition.

With the exception of a 4-1 defeat to Ipswich, which came in the pre-Matos era, they have held their own at this stadium against top-half opposition. With Southampton and Middlesbrough yet to visit this stadium, they still have plenty of tough games left on the schedule and this will be a real test of their credentials.

Coventry slipped up last weekend, but were fortunate that Middlesbrough also dropped points. The Sky Blues have won each of their last three away games, although they've been inconsistent on their travels. They may have to be patient here, but with just one blank (vs Oxford) so far in 2026, they will be expected to make the breakthrough at some point.

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