Championship Tips: Back goals at both ends as Wrexham host Swansea | OneFootball

Wrexham vs Swansea - Entertaining all-Welsh affair on Friday night

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It is a very quick turnaround for both of these sides, with the pair having faced contrasting fortunes on Tuesday night. Wrexham were beaten by Hull, with the Tigers becoming a bit of a bogey team for Phil Parkinson's side. The hosts were forced to rotate after injuries decimated their midfield, resulting in Zak Vyner and Lewis O'Brien as the central pairing. Wrexham failed to get going in the first half, yet they came on strong in the final 20 minutes with the introduction of Issa Kabore and Davis Keillor-Dunn giving them a bit more cut and thrust.

Wrexham looked a bit leggy in the first period, which could be attributed to having been taken all the way by Chelsea in the FA Cup at the weekend. Parkinson is likely to rotate for this, although he has limited options in midfield and Keiffer Moore is rumoured to be out for the remainder of the campaign. On a positive note, Bailey Cadamarteri looked lively on his debut and is likely to get more gametime in the final few weeks of the season.

Swansea defied the pre-match expectations, winning 2-1 at Fratton Park in midweek. They were forced to withstand some late pressure with Pompey coming on strong in the second half, yet they managed to secure all three points. That victory has put them back into the play-off frame, although they remain firm outsiders to gatecrash the top six. Beating their fellow Welshmen would close the gap to just three points and they will arrive with plenty of confidence. Vitor Matos made just one change in midweek, and the hectic schedule may force him into some rotation here. They've conceded just five goals in their last eight games, three of which came at Portman Road. They will aim to keep things right, but keeping a clean sheet here, at the end of a busy seven days may just prove to be one step too far.

Coventry vs Southampton - Attacking talent to be showcased in the lunchtime KO

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It turned out to be a sensational midweek for Coventry, who eased past Preston at the CBS whilst Boro and Ipswich both dropped points. Victory put them eight points clear, with nine games left to play, and promotion is surely in their own hands now. Frank Lampard's side are a well-oiled machine, who have managed to keep up the pace despite suffering injuries to key players. They are looking to make it six wins on the spin this weekend, equalling their record from earlier in the campaign, and there is a realistic chance of them continuing that sequence.

They are attacking with real gusto, registering an xG above four against PNE. Even if one or two of their players are underperforming, their teammates tend to step up and take responsibility. Their defensive work has also improved with four clean sheets in their last seven.

Southampton required a late equaliser from Cyle Larin to rescue a point at the Hawthorns on Wednesday. It was an underwhelming performance from Tonda Eckert's side, who struggled to match West Brom's energy throughout the 90 minutes. They lost Leo Scienza to injury in that game and will miss the Brazilian's creativity this weekend. Saints have kept just a single clean sheet on the road all season, but they are scoring goals. This could be an entertaining 90 minutes.

Middlesbrough vs Bristol City - Boro to bounce back

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Wednesday must have felt like Groundhog Day for Boro fans. On several occasions this season, the Teessiders have completely dominated, spurned numerous chances and somehow failed to take maximum points. They dominated Charlton from start to finish, rattling the woodwork, taking 34 shots and having seven efforts on target. Nevertheless, Boro are always liable to give away a few chances and after Charlie Kelman had failed to take a wonderful opportunity, it was left to Conor Coady to deliver the suckerpunch.

Boro's home form is a slight cause for concern, with just two points taken from a possible nine, but this looks like the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

There is a significant amount of discontent amongst Bristol City fans. The Robins have lost four of their last five, failing to score in each of their last two. Having been awarded their first penalty in over 12 months, Emil Riis spurned the opportunity from the spot and confidence within the squad appears to be low. Furthermore, the lack of available central defenders makes them vulnerable and Boro should be able to take full advantage.

Oxford vs Charlton - Tight game between two robust rivals

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Oxford are making a play for survival. The Yellows appeared to be dead and buried a couple of weeks ago, yet they have won three consecutive matches, moving to within a point of safety. Matt Bloomfield named an unchanged line-up for their midweek victory against Blackburn, and they are playing with spirit and determination. It was a deserved success, with the hosts registering an xG of 1.16 and missing a glorious opportunity where neither Ciaran Brown nor Myles Peart-Harris could squeeze the ball over the line.

They have made fast starts to each of the last three games, yet they may not have quite as much joy against a stubborn Charlton outfit.

The Addicks survived an onslaught from Boro to collect maximum points at the Riverside Stadium. Nathan Jones rested key defenders, yet his side somehow kept the Teessiders off the scoresheet. The Londoners have kept five clean sheets in nine games, but they don't tend to spring into action until the second half of games. They haven't scored a goal before the break since January 31st and they may not get too many opportunities against the resilient hosts.

Birmingham vs Sheffield United - Blues and Blades to trade blows

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Birmingham had a fairly easy ride on Wednesday evening as they edged past QPR at St. Andrews. It was a dominant display from the hosts, although they failed to put away their chances. They were made to look better by the visitors' inadequacies, and there are still issues with the balance of the squad. The victory will help to relieve the pressure on Chris Davies, as it edges them closer to the play-offs, yet it feels as though it may be papering over the cracks.

Nevertheless, they are efficient at this venue, and have players such as Patrick Roberts and Ibrahim Osman who are capable of producing matchwinning moments.

Sheffield United were defeated by Norwich, despite taking the lead at Carrow Road. Chris Wilders' side are having issues on the road this season, and they managed a paltry two shots on target in East Anglia. They have managed to score in six of their last eight away trips and there is always a chance of finding a way past Birmingham's soft-centred defence. Each of the five meetings between these sides at St. Andrews have ended with BTTS and this could follow suit.

Leicester vs QPR - Another three points for Rowett's men

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Leicester have clambered out of the relegation zone, but they are far from safe. They are level on points with Oxford and will view this weekend's game as an ideal opportunity to collect another three points. The return of Jordan James is a fillip and he played a key role in their 2-0 victory over Bristol City on Tuesday night. Gary Rowett's side are much harder to beat, better organised and are playing with far more desire since the change of coach. The talent within their squad has never been in doubt, and Abdul Fatawu is capable of winning games as an individual. Rowett rested Harry Winks, Patson Daka, Divine Mukasa and Ricardo Pereira in midweek and all four could return to the XI to freshen things up.

The Foxes have taken points off Ipswich and Middlesbrough recently and they are expected to sweep aside the out-of-form visitors.

QPR failed to take a shot during the first half of their 1-0 defeat to Birmingham. Across the 90 minutes, they registered an xG of 0.37 and appear to have given up. Julian Stephan has been hamstrung by injuries and the sight of Steve Cook leaving the field on Wednesday night did not make pleasant viewing. Across the last four games, they've conceded 12 times and have failed to find the back of the net.

Millwall vs Blackburn - Lions to squeeze past out-of-sorts Rovers

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Millwall may not have deserved their victory against Derby, yet it moved them to within a point of second place Middlesbrough. The Lions survived a second half scare at The Den, with Patrick Agyemang hitting the woodwork, but they may not need be as defensively robust here. Barry Bannan was drafted into the XI and enabled the hosts to take control, and there was a noticeable drop-off once the veteran midfielder had left the field.

They have won seven of their last nine, a run of form which has been enhanced by Josh Coburn's return from injury. The former Middlesbrough striker may not be the most prolific, but he rarely gives the opposition defence any respite and he holds the ball up superbly. He should frighten the life out of Blackburn's backline.

Blackburn's poor run of form continued with a potentially costly defeat at the Kassam. Rovers are devoid of quality and failed to create any clearcut chances against their fellow strugglers. The Lancastrians have been a bit of a bogey side for Millwall in recent seasons, but they were defeated in their last visit to this stadium and they surely won't lay a glove on the in-form hosts.

Norwich vs Preston - PNE's defence to buckle once more

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Norwich have clambered into midtable, putting themselves ten points clear of the dropzone. Their transformation under Philippe Clement has been remarkable and although they've been helped by some savvy January additions, he has completely galvanised a bunch of players who had been horrifically underperforming. The Belgian has had to contend with a fair number of injuries recently, including the lack of a replacement striker for Mathis Kvistgaarden, who himself is having his minutes carefully managed.

The Canaries are boosted by the return of Pelle Mattsson, who came off the bench in midweek, and Forson Amankwah, who netted within three minutes of being introduced. They have been particularly clinical at home recently, netting 2+ goals in four of their last five at Carrow Road. Although they are finding strikers hard to come by at the moment, they will always create chances and their ability to score goals from all over the pitch is advantageous.

Preston have won just one of their last 11 matches and their season is completely fizzling out. Paul Heckingbottom's side were never likely to stop the Coventry juggernaut, but they didn't even bother standing in the way. They've conceded eight goals in their last three and have lost their spark going forward. They have actually had plenty of success at this venue in previous seasons, but right now, these two clubs appear to be going in completely different directions.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Ipswich - Tractor Boys to turn on the style after the break

Click for Sheffield Wednesday vs Ipswich odds Saturday, 15:00

Not for the first time this season, Sheffield Wednesday were just minutes away from claiming all three points. Considering their circumstances, the Owls were excellent against Watford, battling admirably and causing a few issues for the Hornets. They visibly tired towards the end of the game and looked dead on their feet at the final whistle.

In Jerry Yates, they have a player who is feeling loved and his confidence is visible. Nevertheless, three game weeks always tend to be taxing for this squad and Henrik Pederson has very few options available when it comes to rotation.

Ipswich were surprisingly underwhelming and error-strewn in midweek, despite coming back from 2-0 down to take a point. Keiran McKenna's looked shaky at the back and they missed the influence of Marcelino Nunez, who is absolutely key to their success. They have failed to win 14 of the 20 matches in which the former Norwich man has missed, and he will face yet another spell on the sidelines.

Despite his absence, they are expected to win this game, although they may have to be patient. Wednesday will make themselves tough to break down, although their hectic week is likely to catch up with them eventually. Ipswich will have options on the bench and that could potentially change the game in the second half.

Stoke vs Watford - Dutch courage for struggling Stoke

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Stoke have struggled for firepower during the second half of the season, but they have started to click in the final third and looked very sharp against Ipswich on Tuesday night. The Potters produced an xG of 3.17, taking 16 shots, six of which landed on target. Although the late penalty was on the soft side, they deserved something from the game as they finally put on a show for their long-suffering fans. Milan Smit has taken a few weeks to acclimatise to life in the second tier, although he is helped by the service of Million Manhoef and fellow January addition Jeserun Rak-Sakyi.

The Dutchman was deadly in midweek, landing all three of his shots on target and is likely to be on penalty duty once again.

Watford were curiously insipid on Tuesday night, struggling to find any kind of intensity at Hillsborough. Ed Still will need to change things around for this visit to Staffordshire, but he doesn't have long to sort it out. They have conceded in each of their last four away trips, and they could struggle to contain the galvanised loanee.

West Brom vs Hull - A full-blooded BTTS battle at the Hawthorns

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West Brom put in their best performance of 2026 on Wednesday night as they almost took all three points off play-off chasing Southampton. The players looked up for the challenge, flying into challenges, chasing down lost causes and winning second balls. James Morrison has finally got his side playing with pride and the sight of Daryl Dike in full flight will have given the home fans a much-needed shot of optimism.

Unfortunately, it was a familiar tale for the struggling Baggies with a brief lapse of concentration allowing the Saints back into the game in the 90th minute.

Nevertheless, they are now unbeaten in five of their last seven and they do not go down without a fight.

Hull took advantage of Wrexham's lethargic display in midweek, clinching all three points in North Wales. The Tigers managed to put back-to-back defeats behind them and resumed their quest for promotion. They do not draw many games, with just one of their last 14 games ending in a stalemate, but this will not be easy for Sergej Jakirovic's men, despite having an extra day to prepare for this contest. They should have enough firepower to find a way through, but keeping the increasingly confident hosts off the scoresheet may not be possible.

Portsmouth vs Derby - Visitors will get back to winning ways

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Portsmouth boss John Mousinho was unimpressed with his team's first-half performance against Swansea in midweek, but he did acknowledge that his side improved significantly after the break. It was a display of two contrasting halves for the hosts, but they cannot afford too many more slip-ups with Leicester, Oxford and West Brom all picking up points recently. They've lost three consecutive home games and are seemingly hitting a sticky patch at exactly the wrong time.

They also need Colby Bishop to start firing, with the striker seemingly struggling for form and having barely threatened in recent outings. He's scored just twice since August, and Jacob Brown may be preferred for this encounter. Nevertheless, Derby are a fairly robust outfit, and Pompey will need some physicality in the final third.

Derby's strong away form has dissipated recently, but this looks like a good opportunity to get back on track. The Rams were unlucky not to have taken anything back from their recent trip to Bermondsey, and the same could be said for their bizarre 4-2 loss at Hull. Injuries have weakened their defence, and fans will be hoping that Sondre Langas returns to the XI for the run-in. Goalkeeping absences have also impacted their confidence at the back, but they have more options in the final third than Monday's hosts and that should be enough to muddle through against the mis-firing hosts

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