Championship Tips: Wrexham and Birmingham to cancel one another out on Friday night | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Tips for this weekend's Championship games

It's the final set of Championship fixtures before the international break, and Jack Critchley has picked out his best bets for this weekend's fixtures, including the Friday night game at the Racecourse Ground...

Wrexham vs Birmingham - Points shared in blustery North Wales

Friday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

This is a battle between the two automatically promoted sides from League One. Neither of these teams will be pleased with their start to the season, and the two managers are feeling the pressure. Phil Parkinson's men have managed to put together a three-match unbeaten run, securing a gritty and determined draw on Tuesday night against Leicester. The hosts remain winless at the Racecourse Ground, and this would be the perfect occasion to end that barren run. Unfortunately, this game will be played out in blustery conditions with Storm Amy set to batter the UK. That is unlikely to contribute to a free-flowing game with chances at both ends.

Birmingham's Chris Davies reportedly has plenty of credit in the bank; however, he needs results to improve sharpish. There was plenty of expectation on the Blues this year; however, they've failed to deliver, losing three of their last five matches. All of those defeats have come away from home, yet they were far from convincing when hosting crisis club Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night. Something isn't quite clicking in the midfield, and he hasn't managed to find the right role for Tommy Doyle. It's hard to see Brum winning this, given their form on the road, and it won't be easy in these potentially treacherous conditions.

Blackburn vs Stoke - Rovers' winless run to continue

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Something isn't quite right about Blackburn. Except for Ryan Alebiosu, the majority of Rovers' summer signings have failed to improve the squad and giving the captains armband to Todd Cantwell has been questioned by some supporters. Val Ismael's side has conceded five goals in their last two matches, and they are missing the assuredness of Dom Hyam at the back. The hosts have lost three times at this venue already and this will be far from straightforward against a side who have conceded just twice on the road so far. They've won two of the last eight, and that run could continue on Saturday lunchtime.

Stoke played well against Middlesbrough and deserved their point on Tuesday evening. They may have won just one of their last five, yet they've had a tricky run of fixtures. Mark Robins' men have become tough to beat and have been breached just three times in their last five matches. They have had ten more shots on target than their opponents so far this season and Sorba Thomas has been superb so far, with his deliveries causing issues for the opposition. The away side should be able to continue their good form on their travels, despite having back-to-back away games.

Hull vs Sheffield United - McBurnie's hot streak to continue

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports Football

Hull's chaotic approach to games was effective in midweek as they came back from 2-0 down to pick up a point against Preston. The Tigers continue to shoot themselves in the foot defensively, yet they are showing plenty of prowess in the final third. That's now one clean sheet in 25 home matches, and only three teams have conceded more shots on target than Sergej Jakirovic's men. Most of their goals have come from the powerful front man Oli McBurnie with the 29-year-old netting in each of his last four Championship outings.

He's only failed to fire in four matches so far and will be keen to continue his purple patch against his former club. He's had a joint-high of eight shots on target so far, alongside teammate Joe Gelhardt; however, the former Las Palmas frontman has been far more clinical. Sheffield United have lost seven of their first eight matches and weren't able to hold onto their slender lead against Southampton in midweek. The Blades need to improve defensively and they could find their former striker to be too much of a handful.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry - Plenty of goals at Hillsborough

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Sheffield Wednesday are showing tremendous spirit and have defied the lowly expectations so far. More protests are planned ahead of this game; however, Henrik Pederson will ensure that his team aren't too distracted by this. Nevertheless, the players haven't been paid for September. The Owls are unbeaten in three, netting five times during that run with George Brown contributing twice. Although their squad is small, they have had an extra day to prepare for this fixture and they should be able to create a few chances on Saturday lunchtime.

Coventry are one of just two teams that remain unbeaten this season. Their defence has been better lately; and barely gave Millwall a sniff on Wednesday night. Nevertheless, this is a tight turnaround for Frank Lampard's men, and they have a few fitness concerns. Going from Wednesday night to Saturday lunchtime is a tough schedule for the Sky Blues, although they have plenty of firepower in their squad even without Jack Rudoni. Even Elis Simms got in on the act in midweek and Haji Wright looks full of confidence, too.

Bristol City vs QPR - Entertaining spectacle at Ashton Gate

Saturday, 15:00

Bristol City held Ipswich to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night in a lively encounter. The Robins have been forced into a reshuffle with Jason Knight having torn his abductor at the weekend. The fans have enjoyed plenty of value for money at this stadium so far this season, with Bristol City matches averaging three goals per game, which isn't surprising given that only free-scoring Coventry have taken more shots than the Robins so far this campaign. Gerhard Struber's side will have their ups and downs this season, however, they can rarely be accused of being boring, and they will fancy their chances of taking maximum points from this contest.

QPR were held to a goalless draw by Oxford in midweek, with the Yellows reverting to the conservative style of play which is often associated with Gary Rowett. The visitors aren't easy pickings on the road, winning four of their last seven and scoring in each of their away trips so far this season. This is a quick turnaround for both sides, and with injuries taking their toll, I'm expecting an open game.

Derby vs Southampton - Stewart to torment the Rams

Saturday, 15:00

Following a shaky start to the season, in which they looked susceptible at the back, Derby have plateaued and have avoided defeat in five of their last six games. They embody a typical John Eustace side - tough to play against and effective from set-piece situations. Nevertheless, there are questions about sustainability. The Rams have had the fewest shots in the second tier by some distance (63) and have faced the third most shots. Moreover, they've failed to land a shot on target in the first half of six of their matches so far. They will also be missing their chief goal threat here with Ben Brereton-Diaz ineligible to face his parent club. They will sit deep and look to hit the Saints on the break.

Southampton picked up a much-needed victory in midweek as they came from a goal behind to beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Ross Stewart showcased his poaching instincts, and although Will Still has generally rotated his strikers this season, he will likely get the nod here. Given his injury record, he might not play a full 90 minutes, but he should stay on the field for at least 60, and that should be enough for the Scotsman to score in consecutive matches.

Millwall vs West Brom - WBA to edge out the hosts

Saturday, 15:00

Millwall were uncharacteristically poor at the Den in midweek, losing tamely to Coventry. The Lions have gone from being virtually impenetrable on their own patch to a bit of a soft touch, losing three of their four matches here without scoring. Alex Neil has been dealt a tough hand with injuries this season, but there has been plenty of tinkering, and fans have questioned the reason for £3m summer signing Caleb Taylor being left on the bench. The limited minutes for the tricky Ra'ees Bangura-Williams is another question mark. Alex Neil may be tempted to rotate for this one.

West Brom aren't pretty to watch, but they are mightily effective under Ryan Mason. They rode their luck at times against Norwich and came under pressure late in the game, yet they managed to hold onto their slender lead. They're unbeaten in six of their first eight games, with each of those two defeats coming by a single goal margin. The teams cannot be separated at 7/4 for the pair, so the value lies with backing the visitors to get something from this tie. Each of the last five fixtures between these sides has ended all-square, so we'll get our money back should that pattern continue.

Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough - Boro to maintain their lead at the summit

Saturday, 15:00

Pompey were one of a handful of teams who failed to win at home despite starting at an odds-on price in midweek. Fratton Park has been far from a fortress so far this season, with Pompey having picked up just a single victory here. Keeping clean sheets has been an issue for the hosts, with defensive injuries proving costly. They've conceded exactly two goals in three of their four home games and they will not find it easy against the league leaders on Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, they've shown that they can be effective at the other end of the pitch with Adrian Segecic looking like a super summer addition.

Middlesbrough weren't at their best on Tuesday night, settling for a goalless draw at home to Stoke. They dominated in the first half, yet spent the majority of the second half trying to contain the visitors. Rob Edwards has been praised for his in-game management; however, this will be a test of his ability to use his squad effectively. Boro have numerous defensive injuries, and two games within five days with plenty of miles in between will require some tweaking. They may be lacking numbers at the back, yet they should have enough firepower to take all three points here.

Preston vs Charlton - Another stalemate at Deepdale

Saturday, 15:00

Preston may have flirted heavily with relegation last season, however, the Lilywhites have made a good start to the 2025-26 campaign and should stay clear of any trouble this time around. Paul Heckingbottom has made his side incredibly tough to beat, and they have suffered just a single defeat (1-0 to Pompey) so far this season. The Yorkshireman wasn't best pleased to see his side surrender a comfortable-looking lead against Hull in midweek, yet it maintained their unbeaten sequence. They're yet to lose at Deepdale this season despite hosting two recently relegated sides and the current leaders. They may have taken the second fewest shots, yet they rank 16th for efforts on target, suggesting that they tend to make the most of their infrequent opportunities.

Charlton hustled and bustled their way to a 1-1 draw in midweek. Nathan Jones' side have made a good start to life back in the second tier, and somewhat surprisingly, they've had the joint-fourth highest number of shots on target. The Welshman will be desperate for his strikers to start notching, with only Isaac Olaofe having scored for the Addicks so far. They have relied largely on quality strikes from Sonny Carey and James Bree, however, they are fashioning chances and asking questions of the opposition defence. They've suffered just a single away defeat so far, a game which was level until the 84th minute, so they are unlikely to go down without a fight.

Swansea vs Leicester - Both sides to register

Saturday, 15:00

Swansea have made a very positive start to the season. The Welsh side have suffered just two defeats so far and have yet to be beaten at home. Alan Sheehan may still be working out his best midfield, and Adam Idah hasn't had the impact that many expected, yet the partnership of Burgess and Cabango at the back has proven fruitful, the form of Zan Vipotnik has helped to fire them to the brink of the play-off spots. Admittedly, their fixtures have been favourable with the Swans having beaten all of the current bottom three, and they are yet to host anyone above 12th. This will be a tough test for the squad, however, they will be confident of taking at least a point and keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Leicester are hard to assess. The Foxes picked up a point at Wrexham in midweek, and they remain in Wales for this weekend's fixture. They are unbeaten in their last six, yet they haven't particularly caught the eye and fans haven't been overly impressed with their recent performances. They would have fancied their chances of taking more than four points from Wrexham, West Brom, Oxford and Coventry, and Marti Cifuentes must find a way to get more out of his talented squad. Crucially, the Foxes tend to score goals, and they have netted in seven of their eight games so far. Clean sheets haven't been easy to come by, and BTTS looks to be a decent price at 9/10 here.

Watford vs Oxford - Very little between these two sides

Saturday, 15:00

Despite some disquiet around Vicarage Road, Watford have taken points from their last two games and have performed relatively well in Hertfordshire. Most of the concern has been levelled at Paulo Pezzolano, whose constant tinkering which has included rotating the back-line frequently, has seemingly upset some of the locals. Nevertheless, the players seem to be playing for the Uruguayan, coming from a goal down at Hull last weekend and securing a 2-2 draw at Fratton Park on Wednesday night.

Oxford produced a limp display on Wednesday night, failing to land a shot on target at Loftus Road. That's two straight blanks for a side who had seemingly uncovered their attacking potential just a fortnight ago. Gary Rowett's side have opted for defensive solidity recently and they will look for frustrate the hosts for large periods of this game. Nevertheless, Watford may just have enough quality to sneak a winner. Both sides look well-matched when it comes to the stats, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the points shared on this occasion.

Ipswich vs Norwich - Hosts to take the bragging rights

Sunday, 12:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Ipswich still aren't quite firing on all cylinders, particularly on the road. The Tractor Boys picked up a point at Ashton Gate in midweek, yet they were forced to withstand plenty of pressure in the first half. Scoring goals from open play has been a slight issue, although they've been far more free-flowing at Portman Road. They've beaten troubled Sheffield United and Pompey here and will be confident of toppling their neighbours on Sunday lunchtime. Defensively, they've looked decent enough, conceded the joint-second fewest shots on target (17) and have been breached on just seven occasions.

Norwich rallied in the second half of their match with West Brom on Wednesday night, yet it wasn't enough to take a point, and there was a smattering of boos directed towards Liam Manning at full-time. The Canaries have struggled at Carrow Road and might actually benefit from being on the road here. A lack of penetration has been the fundamental issue with plenty of possession and neatness; however, the fact that the visitors have taken just 78 shots, the fourth fewest in the Championship, is telling. Clearly something isn't quite right with the balance and the instructions from Manning and his team haven't been well-received by the fans so far. They are still unbeaten on the road, and they do have an excellent record at this stadium, so that should inject some confidence into the visitors. Nevertheless, there's every chance they just fall short here.

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