Midweek Championship Tips: Stalemate in the battle of the top two | OneFootball

Hull vs Ipswich - Another chaotic clash at the MKM

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+

By their own fairly recent high standards, Hull performed poorly at the weekend and were deservedly beaten 3-2 at Loftus Road. Sergej Jakirovic's side were clinical and took their chances, scoring twice from just eight shots. They also created some decent chances from open play, particularly in the second half, yet as always, their downfall was their inability to defend. The Tigers were far too open at the back, allowing QPR an xG of 3.02 with the R's taking a total of 26 shots throughout the 90 minutes.

Results have been largely positive in Humberside, and they haven't lost a game since August 23rd, when they were hit by a sickness bug the night before the 3-0 loss to Blackburn. They've netted in each of their six matches since and the players are clearly giving 100% for the manager as they tend to fight back admirably after conceding.

Ipswich completely dominated Wrexham at the weekend, yet they couldn't find a way through. They should find Hull's defending far more magnanimous and they should be able to take advantage. Ipswich have hit four in each of their last two away trips and have numerous players in form, although Jaden Philogene's downturn is slightly concerning. Nevertheless, I'd expect them to exploit the hosts' weaknesses and we should be in for an entertaining night on the chilly east coast.

Middlesbrough vs Coventry - Two in-form sides to share the spoils

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports +

Middlesbrough probably should have beaten Oxford at the weekend. Kim Hellberg was waiting in the wings and his first official game in charge is one of their toughest of the campaign. Boro didn't create enough quality moments according to interim boss Adi Viveash and they will need to be far more ruthless in order to secure three points from this top of the table battle. Morgan Whittaker and Delano Burgzorg have been subject to criticism from fans, and it remains to be seen whether the new boss continues to use the under-fire duo.

At the Riverside, Boro have been fairly watertight, conceding just four goals in front of their own fans. Away from home, they've been a little leakier, but they should be tough to infiltrate in Teesside.

Coventry maintained their lead at the top of the table with a comeback victory over West Brom at the CBS. The Sky Blues switched off twice, before taking full advantage of WBA's indiscipline. Haji Wright missed this game through injury, yet the return of Jack Rudoni is a boost ahead of a busy week. The Sky Blues don't have the sturdiest back-line, yet they're able to produce a stoic performance when required, as demonstrated with their 1-0 victory over Stoke and 3-0 success when hosting Birmingham earlier in the season.

Frank Lampard may be happy to keep Boro at arm's length and this could be filed under 'do not lose' for the former midfielder.

Norwich vs Oxford - BTTS at Carrow Road

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Norwich were heavily beaten at Birmingham at the weekend and although it owed much to the hosts' attacking riches, the Canaries suffered various defensive lapses with Jack Stacey and Shane Duffy struggling to contain the Blues' strikeforce. The East Anglian outfit have been poor at the back so far, and new boss Philippe Clement has his work cut out. The Belgian must find a way to stop his side from conceding cheap goals, although he wasn't able to organise Rangers' defence during his time in Glasgow.

At the other end of the field, they should be a little more clincial and show more adventure. They got themselves on the scoresheet at the weekend and they do have enough talent in forward areas to register here.

Oxford grafted for their point at the weekend with the Yellows giving 100% effort and battling for every ball. Gary Rowett sides don't tend to shirk challenges and they tend to stay in matches. They are winless in four, although they've scored in three of their last four on the road and should have the tools to find a way past Vladan Kovacevic.

Stoke vs Charlton - Potters to take advantage of the Addicks' defensive absences

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Stoke slipped to third in the Championship table having suffered back-to-back defeats. Fans shouldn't be too worried about their current blip, with the Potters having faced league leaders Coventry and gone down narrowly to recently relegated Leicester. They haven't offered a huge amount from an attacking perspective, but they are defensively resolute and well-organised and possess numerous players who will put a shift in.

Sorba Thomas wasn't at his best on Saturday, but Jeon-Ho Bae has excelled playing in behind the striker. Mark Robins may opt to make a couple of changes for this one, as he aims to stop the rot and avoid slipping to a third consecutive defeat. At the 365, they've suffered just two defeats so far, both by a single goal and this may be a good time to be facing Charlton on Tuesday night.

Charlton were hammered at home to Southampton at the weekend. A catastrophic first half defensive display was their undoing and they will need to be tighter at the back here. Nathan Jones' has numerous defensive issues and the back three of Kayne Ramsay, Lloyd Jones and Macauley Gillesphey just simply did not work. It's a mixed picture away from home for the Londoners, with just two victories on their travels so far. This is a tough spot.

Swansea vs Derby - BTTS in South Wales

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Swansea are close to appointing Vitor Matos as their new manager. It wasn't their best performance on Saturday as they struggled to contain Bristol City from the start. They produced just 0.94 xG and had more possession throughout the 90 minutes, but they didn't look particularly threatening. Vann Zipotnik and Zeidane Inoussa may be drafted in to give them more dynamism going forward.

They've won just one of their last eight in the second tier, but have scored in four of their last five. They've netted in seven of their eight matches at this venue, although they haven't managed to keep a clean sheet since August 16th. The signing of Adam Idah hasn't gone according to plan, and they need to extract more from the former Celtic striker.

Derby endured a disastrous Saturday as they squandered a two goal lead at home to Watford and saw in-form striker Carlton Morris taken off after an innocuous looking fall. John Eustace admitted it wasn't like his side to lose concentration, although some credit must be apportioned to Watford for taking control of the second half.

The Rams have been a little more free-scoring in recent weeks with Eustace finding the right balance in the final third. Even if Morris isn't fit enough for this fixture, they still have enough in reserve and should be able to find a way past Swansea's defence. Although Ben Cabango and Josh Tymon are both back from suspension, that may not be enough to keep the visitor's from notching.

Watford vs Preston - Hornets to dominate at Vicarage Road

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Away wins have been in short supply for Hornets this season, yet they got that monkey off their back in emphatic style with a comeback victory at Pride Park. They showed terrific character to fight back and showcased enough quality in the final third to turn the game on its head. Javi Gracia threw in a bit of curveball, giving 20-year-old Moroccan Othmane Maamma a start in the XI for the first time. Nevertheless, it was Edo Kayembe who stole the show with a match-winning performance, ably assisted by the consistent Imran Louza and industrious Luca Kjerrumgaard.

The Hertfordshire outfit are now four unbeaten and have won four of their last five at this stadium. Their performance against Bristol City was disappointing, yet they should taken plenty of confidence from Saturday's victory and they should start this game on the front foot.

Preston disappointed on Friday night, slipping to a 2-1 defeat against Blackburn. Paul Heckingbottom was criticised for this set-up and their midfield was easily overran. PNE's away form is average and with a record of 2-3-2 on the road, they can be a little unpredictable. Their two successes have come against Derby and Southampton, in which the two teams were in various stages of disarray. They are coming up against a side who are thriving under the current regime and may struggle to match their energy levels.

Southampton vs Leicester - Entertaining clash between two former top flight outfits

Tuesday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Tonda Eckert doesn't appear to have done much more than let the players go out and express themselves. This simple approach may not be sustainable long-term, yet it has inspired an upturn in fortunes with the Saints recording three successive victories, moving up to 16th in the table. They created an xG of 4.63, taking 23 shots and creating eight big chances. 16 of those efforts came from inside the box and although Leicester's defence may not be as generous as Charlton, they should still bag at least a couple on Tuesday night.

With 10 goals across their last three matches, the hosts are widely fancied to take three points from this tie and continue their momentum. Finn Azaz has been reintroduced to the XI, and is causing chaos, with Leo Scienza also oozing plenty of class. Adam Armstrong is back amongst the goals and there is plenty of width being provided by Ryan Manning and Tom Fellows, with the latter finally looking at home in red and white stripes.

Leicester are putting a nice little sequence of results together and are three unbeaten coming into this fixture. The Foxes have beaten Stoke and Norwich, yet haven't managed to keep a clean sheet in either of those games. The combination of Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard is hard to trust and they could be in for a long evening in Hampshire. They haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last six away games and keeping the in-form Saints at arm's length feels like an impossible task.

Blackburn vs QPR - End-to-end clash at Ewood Park

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Blackburn's sensational away form continued on Friday night with a 2-1 victory over Preston at Deepdale. Val Ismael's men have excelled at soaking up pressure and choosing the perfect moments to bounce. They are suffering from a bit of an injury crisis and their squad may benefit from having an extra day of rest ahead of this Wednesday night contest. Although they came out of the game with a lower xG than the hosts and created fewer chances overall, they took advantage of PNE's weakness in midfield. They were also impressive in wide areas with the two Ryans, Alebiosu and Hedges, causing constant issues for the home side.

Rovers' home form has been far from exemplary, winning just once so far. Ismael's side do tend to score at Ewood Park, notching in each of their last five and they were a goal up before their game against Ipswich was controversially abandoned.

QPR were back to their attacking best against Hull at the weekend with Julian Stephan's side finding their verve in the final third. They created an xG of 3.02, including 15 shots in side the box. Although Rovers' defence is likely to be a little more robust than Hull's, they should still get chances in this game. The return of Ilias Chair and Karamoko Dembele gives them far more dynamism going forward.

Millwall vs Sheffield Wednesday - Lions to capitalise on Wednesday's woes

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Millwall had to overcome plenty of challenges on Saturday afternoon, losing Zak Sturge to injury and then Joe Bryan to a sending off. It was an off-day for Alex Neil's side and they will be keen to bounce back as soon as possible. The absences are mounting up for the hosts, although Mihailo Ivanovic's goal should give the striker some much-needed confidence in front of goal. He's been misfiring lately and has struggled to recapture last season's sensational form.

Neil's men are four without a victory, yet their home form remains relatively solid. They're unbeaten here since the very start of October, when they were beaten by Coventry.

Sheffield Wednesday froze in the Steel City derby on Sunday and they are coming into this off a shorter turnaround. Henrik Pederson's side have better on the road this season, yet another three-game week is likely to stretch their small squad. Goals have been an issue recently with just four in the last eight and this is a tough place to visit, even for sides who are at full strength.

Sheffield United vs Portsmouth - BTTS at Bramall Lane

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Sheffield United are finally heading in the right direction and Chris Wilder says that his side can decide their own fate this season. The Blades are two unbeaten and cruised past their undercooked city rivals on Sunday lunchtime. Wilder has plenty of talent at his disposal and Tyrese Campbell should be able to kick on with a run of games under his belt. The general concensus is that last season's play-off finalist are in a completely false position and they will start to climb over the next few weeks. They also have a big enough squad to deal with the hectic fixture list.

Portsmouth scored two brilliant goals to beat Millwall on Saturday. Even without those sensational goals, they more than deserved to beat the Lions and put their winless sequence firmly behind them. They've been conceding too many goals lately, particularly on the road and keeping a clean sheet could be tricky here.

Pompey have several players returning to fitness, with Adrian Segecic and Callum both re-introduced at the weekend. Nico Schmid is also back in goal and Josh Murphy is gradually returning to his imperious best. They don't always cope with three-game weeks and quick turnarounds, yet with more bodies available, I'd expect them to be competitive at the very least.

Wrexham vs Bristol City - Hosts to extend their unbeaten sequence

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Wrexham are putting together a long unbeaten streak and they extended this run of form with a backs-against-the-wall job at Portman Road on Saturday. Phil Parkinson's side barely created anything, yet they held firm and took a point back from Suffolk. They've lost just one of their last eleven (1-0 to Stoke) and are unbeaten in each of their last six. They were without Keiffer Moore on Saturday, alongside Issa Kabore, and they may have to cope without the duo once again.

The hosts have plenty of reserves to draw upon with the lesser-spotted Ryan Hardie having had very little game time since arriving from Plymouth. They should be able to create a few more chances in this match, although they've scored exactly one goal in four of their five home matches. Their lack of firepower, outside of Moore is a reason for caution here.

Bristol City didn't have to work too hard to swat aside Swansea at the weekend. The Robins have several players returning from injury and are unlikely to go down without a fight. They aren't the easiest to predict, although they will play with plenty of enthusiasm and energy. They have plenty of attacking talent, yet they may find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated by the hosts' stingy rearguard.

West Brom vs Birmingham - A point a piece in the Black Country

Wednesday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

West Brom will face their second Midlands rival in the space of five days having dropped a two goal lead against Coventry on Saturday lunchtime. The pressure is mounting on the pragmatic Ryan Mason, who hasn't fulfilled his potential in the Albion hotseat. Nevertheless, the former midfielder has made his side exceptionally hard to beat at home. Derby are the only side to leave The Hawthorns with maximum points so far this season, with an 84th minute separating the two sides. It's also notable that the hosts haven't conceded a first half goal in front of their own fans yet. Conversely, entertainment has been hard to come by for the home faithful with the Baggies having scored 2+ goals on just two occasions here.

Birmingham's sensational home form continued at the weekend with a resounding victory over Norwich. The Blues haven't been anywhere near as effective on the road and that is something which must be addressed. They were defeated at Middlesbrough in their last away day and have won just once on their travels since August 16th.

They certainly have the firepower to compete, but keeping clean sheets hasn't been easy for Chris Davies' men. Covering the 1-1 draw in this game looks a sensible option.