Championship Tips and Predictions: Blades to continue their upward momentum | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Tips for all of this weekend's Championship games

A busy week of Championship action continues, and Jack Critchley has selected his best bets for this weekend's 12 fixtures in the second tier, including a pick in Friday night's game at Deepdale...

Preston vs Sheffield United - Second straight victory on the road for Wilder's men

Friday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Preston were beaten on Tuesday night at Deepdale by Birmingham. PNE created a few chances, but the Blues dealt with the long balls up to Michael Smith fairly competently. Lewis Dobbin should have been introduced sooner, and he may be given a start on Friday night due to the quick turnaround. That might result in the Lilywhites opting for a different style of play here to avoid consecutive home defeats and three losses in a row.

Sheffield United are starting to climb the Championship table, and although they weren't outstanding, they were good value for their victory at Ewood Park. Wilder has overseen back-to-back wins, and his side looks defensively strong. They are slowly gaining confidence, and this looks like a good opportunity to keep the momentum going. Deepdale isn't an easy venue to visit, but this is a short trip for the visitors who remain in Lancashire, and they will surely fancy their chances of upsetting the hosts.

Coventry vs Watford - Hornets' Jekyll and Hyde performances to continue

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

Coventry's superb form continued in midweek, picking up maximum points at Fratton Park. It isn't an easy place to go, yet Frank Lampard's side created plenty of chances and deserved to collect all three points. It's now five wins in a row, conceding just a single goal during that run. Brandon Thomas-Asante looks leaner and hungrier, and confidence is oozing through the former Salford striker. He is getting on the end of chances and looks composed in front of goal. The hosts have conceded just twice at the CBS this season and haven't been breached since September 13th.

Brandon Thomas-Asante

11 appearances for Coventry this season

Goals

8

Assists

3

Shots

33

Shots per 90

3.4

Shots on Target

15

Shots on Target per 90

1.5

Chances Created

13

Chances Created per 90

1.3

Passes

157

Passes per 90

16.2

Yellow Cards

0

Red Cards

0

Fouls

11

Fouls per 90

1.1

Fouls Won

12

Fouls Won per 90

1.2

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Watford came back from a goal down to take all three points on Wednesday night. They've had a day less to prepare for this lunchtime KO, and Javi Gracia may be forced to make changes as a result. The Hornets have been dreadful on the road this season, losing three of five away trips and scoring just three times. Imran Louza's return has coincided with better performances, yet this is their toughest task of the season so far, and with such a quick turnaround, it is far from an ideal situation.

Ipswich vs West Brom - Susceptible Tractor Boys to concede again

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports Football

Ipswich collapsed against Charlton in midweek. It was a rare home defeat for the Tractor Boys, who had been very effective in Suffolk so far this season. They have plenty of talent in the final third and created an xG of 2.37, yet defensively, their confidence appears to be fragile. They have changed their back-line this summer and the loss of leaders such as Sam Morsy and Nathan Broadhead appears to have negatively impacted the squad. Some fans have also questioned Dara O'Shea being handed the captain's armband with the defender having been guilty of several errors so far this year.

West Brom were defeated in Hertfordshire on Wednesday night. There were some positives for Baggies fans with Daryl Dike returning from long-term injury to give them a presence in the final third, and Karlan Grant also returning to action. Ryan Mason's side have seemingly lacked adventure in the final third, and they haven't clicked going forward. Nevertheless, they've netted in five away games so far, and have the return of Dike, even if he comes off the bench, should test the resolve of the hosts' back-line.

Portsmouth vs Stoke - Low-key affair at Fratton Park

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

There was absolutely no shame in losing to runaway leaders Coventry on Tuesday night, as Pompey slipped to a 2-1 defeat. John Mousinho's side created very little in the game and struggled to get into the match. This should be easier. Unfortunately, the hosts have injury issues with Adrian Segecic's the latest name added to the treatment list. With the lack of creative players, they may struggle to forge too many opportunities on Saturday lunchtime against a Stoke side who are defensively sound and rarely gives much away. The hosts have scored more than a single goal in a game once this season and another low-scoring affair is expected here.

Stoke sat second in the table a month ago, yet they've slipped to sixth and they were fairly unremarkable in their defeat against Millwall. They fell behind early, yet failed to muster more than 0.44 xG as they attempted to get something from the game. Their games have averaged just 1.82 goals so far this season, and they've failed to score in three of their last four on the road. This could be a fairly low-scoring and forgettable contest.

Blackburn vs Southampton - Rovers old boy to haunt his former club

Saturday, 15:00

Things aren't going well for either of these sides. Blackburn slumped to yet another defeat in midweek, despite taking the lead against Sheffield United. Valerian Ismael's side haven't played too badly in any of their recent defeats, yet they continue to come out on the wrong side of games. Todd Cantwell is a blow for the hosts, and they badly missed his maverick tendencies on Tuesday night. Without him, Blackburn struggled to create, and they managed just 0.69 xG from open play against the Blades. Defensively, they look like they have got a mistake in them and they could struggle to deal with Southampton's attack.

Pressure is mounting on Will Still. The former Reims boss is struggled to get a tune out of his talented squad and has been unable to change their fortunes. Having won just four times in 17 months, the club is at a low ebb, and they are seriously underachieving. It is worth pointing out that they have missed copious chances to win games, before shooting themselves in the foot time and time again. Adam Armstrong is a former Blackburn player and was a hero to the home fans until 2021. He has netted four times for the Saints so far this season, although given the chances they've created, he really should be closer to double figures. He netted in midweek, and his confidence will be high coming into this clash with his former employers.

Bristol City vs Birmingham - Points shared at Ashton Gate

Saturday, 15:00

Bristol City are delighted with Gerhard Struber. Despite dealing with a seemingly ever-growing list of injuries, he has made the Robins competitive, and they are doing it whilst producing some highly entertaining football. They have lost just twice so far this campaign, albeit both of those defeats have come at Ashton Gate, and they have started this busy week with back-to-back victories. He has also had the confidence to blood some younger players with 17-year-old Leo Pecover being introduced with 20 minutes left on the clock in midweek. Although their victory over Saints was a deserved success, they have only won twice here so far and Birmingham will pose a completely different test for the Austrian and his side.

Birmingham's Chris Davies went back to the drawing board on Tuesday night. The under-pressure coach went defensive in his approach and his side were able to able to protect their lead having scored from a corner, something which is a bit of a collector's item. The partnership of Klarer and Neumann was effective, and they were able to repel Preston for 90 minutes. With Bright Osayi-Samuel suspended, Davies may have to shuffle his pack at right back, and he may rest a few of the players who battled heroically on Tuesday evening. There won't be much between this pair, and I expect them both to be well-organised.

Derby vs QPR - Visitors to sneak past low-scoring hosts

Saturday, 15:00

John Eustace was relieved to see his side hold on for three points in midweek. Despite a low possession count and an xG of just 0.95, the Rams picked up a much-needed 1-0 victory over struggling Norwich. The East Midlands are still ranking poorly going forward, having taken fewer shots than any other team. They will be hampered by the suspension of captain Ebou Adams for this weekend's game, which leaves them a little short in the middle of the park. None of their last five home games have featured more than two goals and they haven't scored multiple goals in a game since August 30th. They are just about doing enough in games, but if QPR can get in front, they may find it tough to fight back.

The visitors picked up all three points on Wednesday night in a tempestuous affair in South Wales. Several players have been back in training and playing behind closed doors this week which will give Julian Stephan options in forward areas. Unfortunately, they have a few injuries at the back and asking Steve Cook to play a third game in seven days could prove to be excessive. Nevertheless, Nicolas Madsen has been outstanding recently, and the energy of Rumarn Burrell and Richard Kone may be enough to shade this.

Hull vs Charlton - Another entertaining afternoon on the east coast

Saturday, 15:00

Hull have exceeded expectations so far this season. The Humberside outfit sit on the fringes of the play-offs and arrive off the back of three successive victories. Sergej Jakirovic's men are still untrustworthy at the back and they have managed just a single clean sheet since the opening weekend. The return of Liam Millar has given them a little more creativity in the final third, and they produced an xG of 1.52 against Leicester on Tuesday night. Millar was supported by the willingness of Joe Gelhardt and Matt Crooks, with the option of Joel Ndala available from the bench.

Charlton produced the perfect away performance as Nathan Jones designed the perfect set-up to thwart Ipswich at Portman Road. The Welshman ordered his side to absorb pressure, hit the hosts on the counter and leave them 2 vs 2 at the back. This tactic was executed perfectly, and he may try a similar approach here, given Hull's liabilities at the back. They've netted in four of their last away from home and should play their part in an end-to-end encounter.

Middlesbrough vs Wrexham - Tight encounter by the Tees

Saturday, 15:00

Middlesbrough nervously edged past Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night, with the Owls putting up a good fight at Hillsborough. Boro should have had a penalty and tested the reflexes of stand-in goalkeeper Joe Lumley on multiple occasions, yet they couldn't add to their early strike, and travelling fans were delighted to hear the final whistle. They return to Teesside and will be keen to preserve their unbeaten record here. Aidan Morris could return to the XI for this game, with Rob Edwards keen to keep things fresh following a busy few days. Matches at the Riverside have been tight, with each of the club's four victories secured by a single goal margin, either side of a 0-0 draw with Stoke.

Wrexham ended their barren home run in midweek with a cagey 1-0 success against Oxford. Nathan Broadhead was the star of the show, yet again, and George Thomason impressed on his first start in several months. The latter created the most chances in the game, and Keiffer Moore provided a terrific focal point in attack. The visitors have been better on the road this season, although they've failed to win their last two. Concerningly, they haven't scored more than a single goal in a game since September 20th, and they may find the Boro back-line difficult to breach.

Millwall vs Leicester - Foxes' defence to buckle once again

Saturday, 15:00

Millwall have quietly crept up to third in the table following a hat-trick of victories. Alex Neil's men have faced adversity with several players suffering injuries. Will Smallbone is the latest player to land on the treatment table, joining Massimo Luongo and Josh Coburn. Thankfully for the Scot, he has been able to ease a number of players back into the fold with Alfie Doughty making the bench on Tuesday and Casper de Norre recently returning to the XI. The Lions are much better with the Belgian in the side, and he gives them a nice balance in the middle of the park. They are threatening going forward and Stoke simply couldn't live with Femi Azeez and Thierno Ballo in midweek. They will surely find a way past Leicester's suspect defence.

The Foxes continue to underwhelm. They suffered yet another defeat on Tuesday, losing to Hull and they were uninspiring during the second half against Pompey on Saturday teatime. Despite winning just once since the end of August, they are eighth in the table and there is no need to panic just yet. Nevertheless, they haven't kept a clean sheet since August 23rd and simply cannot be trusted to take three points from this encounter.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Oxford - Low-scoring encounter in South Yorkshire

Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield Wednesday battled admirably against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, yet they came away with nothing to show for their efforts. The Owls have been hamstrung by ongoing off-field issues, yet Henrik Pederson is 'proud' of his players' efforts in the face of adversity. He has managed to keep his squad focused on the football, and although they have lost three consecutive matches, they haven't been far away from taking a point from their last two.

Oxford's away form is abysmal. Despite facing ten men for the final 20 minutes, they could only muster six shots, one of which was on target. Barring a short period at the beginning of September, the Yellows haven't shown enough thrust going forward and are lacking creativity. They will be expected to win this game, yet they must find a way past Joe Lumley, who was in inspired form in midweek and they are unlikely to hit the hosts for three or four. Moreover, their defence is relatively solid and they could keep the Owls at arm's length on Saturday afternoon.

Swansea vs Norwich - Canaries' trouble to continue

Saturday, 15:00

Alan Sheehan rushed to the defence of Malick Yalcouye, who received a red card against QPR in midweek. The Swans battled during the second half with ten men, yet were unable to find a way back into the game. Sheehan also claimed he learnt plenty of lessons from the defeat and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make a handful of changes for this clash. Melker Widell made an eye-catching cameo and may come into the XI, whereas Zan Vipotnik should be suitably rested, having played just eight minutes in midweek.

Norwich continue to struggle, and there is plenty of unrest amongst fans and, seemingly, players. Although Liam Manning's job is hanging by a thread, a portion of the ire has been directed towards the club's Sporting Director, Ben Knapper. They have lost four on the bounce and have scored just twice in their last five. The goals have dried up for Josh Sargent, and there is a lack of cohesiveness to their play. This will be a tricky tie against a Swans side who are usually fairly reliable at home when they keep all of their players on their pitch.

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