Championship Tips: Pompey's woes to continue at Carrow Road | OneFootball

Middlesbrough vs Millwall - Lions to frustrate the toothless hosts

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There seems to be a blueprint emerging which details how to set up your side to frustrate Middlesbrough and potentially steal a point from the Teessiders. In recent weeks, it has been deployed by Blackburn, Charlton and Oxford - all sides that Boro were widely predicted to beat comfortably.

Kim Hellberg's side have been left exasperated by their failure to find the back of the net despite dominating, and although it hasn't derailed their bid for automatic promotion, this is a crucial game in which they cannot afford any slipups. The Riverside has been far from a fortress recently, with the hosts failing to win any of their last four at this venue, and there have been a couple of 'flat' performances, such as their 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

If there is a team that can perfectly execute a game plan, it's Millwall. Alex Neil's side have also dropped points recently. Although their second-half performance against Ipswich was much-improved, having struggled to contain the Tractor Boys for the first 45 minutes.

The Bermondsey outfit have been victorious nine times on the road this season. The last time they reached double figures, they were promoted. They still have a few injury issues, with Casper de Norre being the biggest miss, although Josh Coburn is likely to lead the line and don't be surprised to see him play like a man possessed, as he bids to get one over on his former employers.

The visitors have avoided defeat at all but two top-half teams (Coventry and Birmingham) and as a member of the chasing pack, they can put the pressure on the hosts. Boro could be the more nervous of the two sides and that may take its toll, particularly in the second half.

Birmingham vs Blackburn - Points shared at St. Andrews

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Birmingham's season has unravelled over the last couple of months and there has been a fair bit of speculation amongst the fanbase about the future of manager Chris Davies. Expectations were high heading into the campaign, and although their home form has been strong, they have failed to deliver on the road and they find themselves with a ten-point deficit to make up on the top six.

Davies will be keen to end the season strongly and keep their faint play-off hopes alive. They've been effective at St. Andrews, although the majority of their matches have been fairly tight. Each of their last four victories has been achieved by a single goal margin, and they've drawn six of their last ten at this ground.

Blackburn manager Michael O'Neill returns from his stint managing Northern Ireland. Guiding Rovers to survival is now the primary aim for the Ulsterman, and this is a tough test for the Lancastrian side. They have been better on the road this season, winning seven times on their travels (just four at home) and recently left The Den with all three points.

They have a three-point buffer on the bottom three and although they will be keen to give themselves a little more breathing space, they may settle for a draw in the West Midlands.

Charlton vs Bristol City - Hodgson to start his tenure with a defeat

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Roy Hodgson was surprisingly appointed as Bristol City manager during the International Break, replacing the outgoing Gerhard Struber. The former Crystal Palace boss returns to Ashton Gate, 44 years after his previous unsuccessful tenure. Although there is very little pressure on his shoulders, Hodgson admitted that he is 'not just here for a ride' and wanted to re-energise himself. Nevertheless, this is an injury-hit squad and the Robins are horrendously out of form.

Hodgson has just one fit central defender available and facing a robust and battle-hardened Charlton side, who are scrapping for every point, may be a tricky start to his spell. Interestingly, despite managing professionally for over 40 years, Hodgson has never previously faced the Addicks and this is a tough test for the 78-year-old.

Nathan Jones will have his troops motivated for this contest. They have an eight-point buffer, but they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas. They are fairly watertight at home and they have options from the bench, who can turn the game in their favour. Nine different players have contributed this season, having been brought onto the field and once again, a single goal may be enough to collect maximum points here.

Leicester vs Preston - BTTS at the KP

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Leicester are a point off safety and desperately need to start picking up points. The Foxes have been highly inconsistent recently, although they have been defeated in just two of their last seven Championship fixtures. Nevertheless, they took the lead against QPR in mid-March, before slumping to a 3-1 loss, and there is a fragility to their talented squad.

Jordan James picked up an injury on international duty and was forced off the field after 55 minutes in Wales' play-off game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and is being assessed ahead of this contest. It would be a significant blow for the Foxes, who have looked far better going forward since his return to the squad.

Preston ended their slump with a 3-1 success at home to Stoke prior to the international break. PNE are safe and have very little to play for, and their recent form on the road does not inspire confidence. Ali McCann returned from the NI squad injured, and they are also still missing Callum Lang. Alfie Devine has combined effectively with Lewis Dobbin lately and Andy Moran is finally getting a run in the XI. They should have enough to trouble the Foxes' defence.

Norwich vs Portsmouth - Pompey to struggle in East Anglia

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Whilst other teams are losing players to injury, Norwich are looking forward to welcoming several returnees. Mo Toure is expected to be fit enough to play a part, and Oscar Schwartau should return to the squad as well. With Forson Amankwah and Pelle Mattsson also back in action, there are plenty of options for Phillippe Clement. He may opt to rest Al Ahmed, who was representing Canada on Wednesday evening. This game may come too soon for the winger.

Norwich have won five of their last six, including three consecutive home games, and they will be full of confidence. Toure's return will take the burden off Mathias Kvistgaarden, who has been playing through an injury over the last few weeks.

Portsmouth are hitting the buffers at the wrong time. John Mousinho's side have lost five of their last six and conceded six to QPR prior to the international break. They are struggling to convert their chances and Colby Bishop is enduring a goal drought. They've netted just three times in their previous five games and could find it tough to break down the home defence, which has been fairly robust lately.

Oxford vs Hull - Yellows to bag another crucial point towards survival

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Oxford are fighting for every point and having looked destined for League One at the end of February, they embarked upon a four-match unbeaten run, which has helped to put them within touching distance of the dotted line. They were beaten by Southampton last time out, but they put in a decent enough performance, containing the Saints throughout the second half and conceding a wonder goal from Shea Charles.

They are unbeaten at home in their last three, having previously struggled at the Kassam and they will look to frustrate the promotion-chasing visitors on Good Friday. They still don't score enough goals, netting just 12 times here since the beginning of November, but they are a well-organised unit under Matt Bloomfield and will look to deploy a low-block once again.

Hull beat Sheffield Wednesday to keep their promotion hopes alive, but they aren't firing on all cylinders, losing three of their last five. They are an effective side on the road, and they move the ball quickly, which will test the Oxford backline. Conceding goals has been an issue lately, and they are giving up plenty of chances, which is a worrying trend for a team that still has hopes of reaching the Premier League.

QPR vs Watford - Another entertaining contest at Loftus Road

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QPR fans have finally had something to cheer lately. The R's have rediscovered their attacking mojo, plundering nine goals across their last two games. Those performances come with some caveats, chiefly that they came against out-of-form relegation candidates, yet it is a display of intent from the West Londoners, who will be looking to approach this fixture with the same level of gusto.

They are still missing several players with Nicholas Madsen on the sidelines and Ilias Chair seemingly suffering yet another setback. Nevertheless, Harvey Vale is finding form, Paul Smyth has looked far more controlled in his recent performances, and Rayan Kolli can take plenty of confidence from his double against Pompey.

Watford fans will be hoping that James Abankwah's injury isn't too serious. He made his ROI debut earlier in the week, but was taken off with a dead leg. The Hornets are already missing Stephen Mfuni and cannot afford to lose yet another defender.

The visitors have been unpredictable under Ed Still and are tough to predict. They have a 3-2-2 record since February 21st and a 1-2-1 record across their last four away trips. They do have plenty of firepower in their squad, and games between these sides have been fairly entertaining lately.

Sheffield United vs Swansea - Blades' defence to leak at Bramall Lane once again

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This is one of many games taking place over the next couple of weeks in which both teams are simply playing for pride. Sheffield United and Swansea are safe from the threat of relegation, with neither able to trouble the play-offs, so building up some momentum ahead of next season is the aim of the game here.

The Swans have a terrible record at this stadium, losing eight of their last nine with an aggregate score of 20-1. Under Vitor Matos, they are tougher to breach, although their away form still needs addressing. They were unlucky to lose 3-0 to Coventry, hitting the woodwork twice and they will be keen to bounce back on Friday afternoon.

Sheffield United have gone four games without a victory and have a tendency to give away cheap goals. They have taken the lead in each of their last three matches here, yet have failed to take maximum points from any of those fixtures.

Although the visitors are hardly prolific on their travels, they will be buoyed by the fact that the hosts haven't managed a clean sheet here since December 20th.

Stoke vs Sheffield Wednesday - Potent Potters to put the Owls to the sword

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Stoke lost 3-1 at Deepdale prior to the international break, continuing the recent trend of being involved in high-scoring matches. Although their form on the road is dreadful, they have been scoring for fun in Staffordshire, netting three times against Ipswich and beating Watford 3-1 on March 14th.

Mark Robins tweaked his XI last time and the balance in midfield was lost. They should have too much quality for the relegated Owls on Friday afternoon. Million Manhoef is enjoying a late-season resurgence, and Sorba Thomas delivers countless balls from the flanks, which could cause chaos in the Wednesday defence.

The visitors are still missing several players including Di'Shon Bernard, and have been leaky on the road this season. They've conceded a first-half goal in each of their last six away games and unlike at Hillsborough, they haven't been able to hold out and frustrate their opponents.

West Brom vs Wrexham - Lively second 45 expected at the Hawthorns

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WBA have looked revitalised under James Morrison and they have given themselves a realistic chance of survival. They have looked far more secure at the back, keeping consecutive clean sheets, and they have managed to keep the opposition off the scoresheet in the first half of their last four matches. The West Midlands outfit are far better organised since dispensing with Eric Ramsay's services, and they are likely to stick with a 4-4-2 for this encounter. That will make them harder to break down and they probably aim to hit the visitors on the break.

With Southampton in FA Cup action this weekend, Wrexham have an opportunity to clamber above the in-form Saints into sixth place. Phil Parkinson is still dealing with several injuries and is unlikely to call upon Bailey Cadamarteri, who played 74 minutes for Jamaica on Wednesday evening.

They are a little light in midfield and although they have won six of their last eight on the road, this is far from a gimme for the Welsh outfit. They may have to be patient and wait for the opportunities to come along.

Coventry vs Derby - BTTS in the televised tie

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Coventry have a nine-point advantage at the summit and have been the most consistent of the promotion candidates throughout February and March. The Sky Blues have been helped by key players returning from injury, although they may be missing Joel Latibeaudiere, who featured for Jamaica on Wednesday evening. Haji Wright didn't feature in the USMNT owing to an injury concern and the US international may be forced to sit this one out. Cov fans will be hoping that Jack Rudoni has recovered from his muscle injury in time for this late KO.

The hosts have barely put a foot wrong at the CBS, although they recently slipped up to play-off chasing Southampton. They beat Swansea 3-0 in South Wales last time out, but they survived several scares throughout the 90 minutes, with Swansea hitting the woodwork twice.

Derby have been one of the better away sides in the division, although they haven't fared well when visiting top six sides. They could be vulnerable at the back, although they do possess plenty of firepower. Cov are far from impenetrable and this could be a highly entertaining contest in front of the TV cameras on Saturday evening.