Championship Tips: Away specialists Millwall to struggle in a fiercely contested Friday night fixture | OneFootball

West Brom vs Millwall - Expect both sides to give very little away

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Alex Neil admitted that his side gave absolutely everything against Middlesbrough on Good Friday, leaving very little in the tank for Easter Monday's visit of Norwich. The Lions also lost Billy Mitchell before the game, an absence that they could ill-afford, leaving them short in the middle of the park. As a result, they ceded control in midfield, and only the introduction of Mihailo Ivanovic allowed them to test the Canaries' backline.

Mitchell, who has made 38 appearances for the Bermondsey outfit this season, is expected to miss this game, and that's a blow for the visitors. However, they have been far more effective on the road and should have had ample time to rest and recover following Monday's exertions. With Middlesbrough dropping points at 5:30pm on Monday, they are still firmly in the race for automatic promotion, and this is a must-win fixture.

There was no lack of effort and endeavour at Ewood Park on Easter Monday, yet there was a distinct lack of quality at both ends of the pitch. In the end, WBA had to settle for a point, which, with none of their fellow strugglers collecting a maximum, was an acceptable outcome.

The Baggies are now unbeaten in six and have recently taken points from Wrexham, Southampton and Hull here. They won't make this easy for the Lions and this isn't the ideal place for Alex Neil's men to visit. The Scot is adept at in-game management, and WBA have tended to concede late goals this season, although that has improved slightly since James Morrison took over responsibilities.

There is far too much at stake for this game to be an open-ended affair, and it is likely to be cagey, particularly during the first 45.

Coventry vs Sheffield Wednesday - Sky Blues to ease themselves closer to the 'Promised Land'

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Coventry were fairly uninspiring against Hull, managing just a single shot on target. It was an uncharacteristically quiet and ineffective display in the final third from a team that has been scoring for fun this campaign. With Boro drawing and Millwall drawing, it wasn't a damaging outcome for Frank Lampard's men and they've been handed a very winnable fixture on Saturday afternoon.

Assuming that everybody in the top four is victorious this weekend, Cov will have a 12-point advantage with just four games left to play and will have virtually secured their return to the top flight. As a result, there should be a jubilant atmosphere inside the CBS, with fans expecting a few goals on Saturday lunchtime.

The hosts have averaged 2.15 goals per game here this season, netting 3+ in three of their last five outings here. The goals have been spread around with Jack Rudoni, Ephron Mason-Clark, Victor Torp and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto all chipping in.

They have dropped points just once when hosting sides outside the top ten, and this could be a long afternoon for Sheffield Wednesday.

The visitors battled hard against Leicester on Monday to secure a point at Hillsborough. They should put up a good fight, but the difference in quality will be evident from the first whistle.

Click for Norwich vs Ipswich odds Saturday 12:30, Live on Sky Sports Football

Philippe Clement described his side's 2-1 victory over Millwall as their 'best performance of the season'. Just as it looked like the Canaries were winding down for the season, they have picked back up and kept themselves in contention for sixth spot. Clement has done a remarkable job so far, yet his status amongst the home fans will be exponentially elevated if he can mastermind a victory over the club's fiercest rivals.

The January additions have given them more zip, particularly in wide areas and with many key players returning to full strength, they are getting closer to full strength. They don't make many mistakes at the back and are incredibly difficult to break down. Only four sides have managed to find a way through since February 21st, and Ipswich will have to work hard to break down the hosts' back-line.

Although the Tractor Boys were victorious when these teams met earlier in the campaign, Norwich are rarely defeated here, and were victorious in each of the last two. They also managed to keep a clean sheet in each of those previous meetings.

Ipswich have a couple of games in hand on the teams around them, but their remaining fixtures are far from straightforward, and this is one of their trickiest. They'd happily take a point you'd suspect.

QPR vs Bristol City - BTTS at Loftus Road

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QPR have very faint hopes of reaching the play-offs, managing to just about keep them alive with a 1-1 draw against Preston on Monday afternoon. Either way, Julian Stephan's side have surpassed their points total for each of the last two seasons and are ending the season in decent form, despite enduring an unprecedented injury crisis during the second half of the campaign.

They are unbeaten in four and have notched 12 times across that period. Harvey Vale is growing in stature, and Richard Kone never stopped working at Deepdale. Kwame Poku's return should give them some extra creativity and they are likely to create a few chances here.

Roy Hodgson's arrival has prompted back-to-back victories, although Monday's 1-0 victory was aided by the reflexes of Radek Vitek, with the Czech making seven saves, and helping his side to keep their first clean sheet since mid-January.

The Robins are playing with much more confidence, yet they've had some luck along the way. They will find it tough to keep the hosts off the scoresheet, unless Vitek produces a second successive goalkeeping masterclass.

Charlton vs Preston - PNE to potentially edge a tight one

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I understand why Charlton are priced up at 11/10 for this game. They have been stronger at the Valley this season, and despite possessing a seven-point cushion over the bottom three, they still require a few more points to secure their Championship status. Nevertheless, the Addicks have won just two of their last ten games, and haven't managed more than a single goal in a game since January 31st.

Nathan Jones' side picked up a point on Monday, yet they had to soak up plenty of pressure and were arguably lucky that Watford couldn't convert more than one of their 31 efforts. On the contrary, Charlton are a better side with Matt Godden in the XI and the big striker's return from injury should allow them to be a little more productive in the final third.

PNE are winding down for the season, and are playing with the pressure firmly off. They are unbeaten in three heading into this fixture and had it not been for a comedy own goal on Monday afternoon, they would have taken maximum points on Easter Monday.

Paul Heckingbottom's side aren't the easiest to predict, but they won't make this easy for the hosts, and they have every chance of taking a point back to Lancashire. Furthermore, they have a decent record against the hosts, winning on each of their last two visits to The Valley.

Leicester vs Swansea - Foxes' leaky defence to cost them once again

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Leicester have been priced up as the favourites for this fixture, yet the Foxes are incredibly hard to trust. They have picked up just a single victory since January 5th, and that came against a Bristol City outfit, that was in disarray at the time. When priced at similar odds here, they managed to lose 3-1 to QPR and also failed to beat PNE here, although they managed to find the net in both games.

Gary Rowett's side are still in the relegation zone, and they cannot afford too many more slip-ups. Having had their appeal rejected, their six-point deduction will stand, and they must start picking up results.

Swansea's excellent home form continued on Monday as they held Middlesbrough to a 2-2 draw in South Wales. Their away form is far from vintage, but they are scoring goals and managed to pick up a 3-3 at Bramall Lane recently. Vitor Matos' team don't have an awful lot to play for, but it's hard to imagine that they will down tools at this stage of the season.

Middlesbrough vs Portsmouth - Pompey to test Boro's defence

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Middlesbrough extended their winless run with a 2-2 draw on Easter Monday at Swansea. Boro are creating plenty of chances, and they've had 48 more shots than any other Championship side during their barren patch, with 122 more touches in the opposition box. They aren't struggling for creativity, but profligacy coupled with the occasional defensive lapse have caused them multiple setbacks, and their hopes of clinching automatic promotion are hanging in the balance.

The Riverside faithful have had little to cheer about lately and haven't witnessed a victory since the end of January. They will fancy their chances of winning this one. Pompey may opt to sit back and hit Boro on the break, so Kim Hellberg must devise a way to bypass a low block - something they have routinely struggled with since the Swede was appointed.

Portsmouth cannot afford to take it easy. Pompey's 2-2 draw with Oxford was admirable, considering they were reduced to ten men in the first half. They will miss Connor Oglivie for this game, but if they can keep Keshi Anderson fit, then they should be able to create plenty of opportunities. Anderson can produce moments of magic, has an eye for goal and is the link between the midfield and the strikers, and his return to the XI is timely.

Each of the last four meetings at the Riverside between these two sides have been drawn, with the last three all finishing 2-2. Boro may be without Dael Fry, and they could be vulnerable at the back.

Oxford vs Watford - Points shared at the Kassam

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Oxford have quietly gone about their business under Matt Bloomfield, and with just one defeat in their last seven, they have given themselves a realistic chance of clambering out of the relegation zone. They will be kicking themselves for not being able to take advantage of Pompey's personnel deficit on Monday, conceding an 87th-minute goal to the hosts despite having a man advantage for over 70 minutes.

They don't make it easy for the opposition, particularly at the Kassam, and they will provide a stern test for a Watford side, who must surely now be cruising towards the end of the campaign. Ed Still's side have plenty of shots, including 31 of them against Charlton on Monday, but the majority of those have been from distance. Their midfield is both creative and industrious, but they lack a clinical poacher who can get on the end of rebounds and through-balls.

They don't win often on the road, taking maximum points just once since the end of December. This will be a tough assignment for the Hertfordshire outfit, and they may be reasonably happy to settle for a point in this one.

Sheffield United vs Hull - Tigers to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive in the Steel City

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Sheffield United's lack of clean sheets is starting to get a little concerning. The Blades changed their formation for the 1-0 defeat to Bristol City, although Chris Wilder was keen to stress that games are won on attitude and application, and not on systems. The hosts have managed to keep the opposition off the scoresheet in just 2 of their last 19 games, and have failed to keep a clean sheet at home since December 20th.

They were the dominant side on Easter Monday, barely giving Bristol City a sniff, yet they still found a way to concede.

Hull's fast, energetic style is likely to work effectively against the hosts' porous backline, and with automatic promotion still a possibility, they need to be collecting something from this contest. Previously, they had a poor record against this opposition, yet they've won each of their last two and possess an impressive record on the road this season, winning 50% of their away matches.

There's a possibility that their desire for points will see them through here, and they will almost certainly find a way to trouble the home defence. Sheffield United have scored in each of their last 13 matches here, and this could prove to be one of the more entertaining and intriguing 3pm KOs.

Southampton vs Derby - The in-form Saints to go marching on

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Southampton are ending the season strongly and having displaced Wrexham inside the top six on Tuesday night, they are surely favourites to finish in the play-off positions. The Saints are ruthless, and have strength-in-depth in all areas of the pitch. They have won nine of their last eleven, including each of their last four and they look unstoppable at the moment.

Although there were some doubts surrounding the appointment of Tonda Eckert, the German has been a revelation and he has proven flexible when it matters. Since he took over from Will Still, the Saints have picked up more points and scored more goals than any other Championship side. At 3/4, they will be expected to continue their late-season charge on Saturday afternoon.

Derby have been superb under John Eustace, and they won't make it easy for the in-form hosts. They've won 45% of their away games this season, although they've lost four of their last five and have looked less effective away from Pride Park lately.

They went toe-to-toe with Coventry at the CBS last week, but they were susceptible at the back and ended up losing 3-2. We could see a similar game this weekend. Derby should play their part, yet they may just come up short.

Stoke vs Blackburn - Rovers to keep things tight in Staffordshire

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Michael O'Neill will face his former employers on Saturday, and the Northern Irishman will be aiming to extend his side's unbeaten sequence. Predictably, Rovers have become very difficult to beat with O'Neill working on organisation and resilience in a battle to avoid the drop. They are not safe yet, despite possessing a six-point cushion over third-bottom Leicester City, and every point is valuable at this stage of the season.

The Lancastrian outfit have been to Millwall and Birmingham recently and have left with maximum points. They will be overawed by a trip to mid-table Stoke.

The Potters have won each of their last two home matches, yet their wretched away form continues to hold them back. They are actually unbeaten here since losing to Southampton at the end of January. They are much-improved, but they may find it tricky to break down the Rovers' rearguard.

Birmingham vs Wrexham - Game to burst into life after the break

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Birmingham's season is done. The future of Chris Davies will be the biggest talking point over the next couple of weeks, although the Blues boss will feel aggrieved that his side were denied a point at Ipswich on Monday afternoon. The players are clearly still working hard for the under-fire coach, but there is a lack of quality in the key areas. Nevertheless, at home, they are much stronger and with the exception of their recent defeat to Blackburn, they rarely draw a blank here.

Carlos Vicente looked lively on the right, and the introduction of Ibrahim Osman caused Ipswich a few issues and gave the visitors a little more control.

Wrexham will need to bounce back from their Tuesday night hammering against Southampton. Phil Parkinson's side cannot afford too many more defeats, as they chase down the Saints for sixth place. They've approached their last few away games curiously, sitting back during the first period, and then returning for the second period all-fired up.

Each of their last five away goals have been scored in the second half, and if they start sluggishly here, Parky should be able to make changes and swing the game in their favour in the second 45.