Championship Tips: Tight encounter expected at Deepdale on Friday night | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Tips and predictions for the return of the Championship

With the final international break behind us, Jack Critchley takes a look at all 12 fixtures in the Championship this weekend with a brief preview and tip for each...

Preston vs Blackburn - PNE to edge out their Lancastrian rivals

Friday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Preston have the fourth-best home record in the division, enabling them to climb to fourth in the Championship table. Paul Heckingbottom's side may not be the most glamorous outfit and won't receive many accolades for their style of play, yet they are hugely effective, work exceptionally hard and cannot be easy to face. At home, they've conceded an average of 0.88 goals per game, and although they haven't kept a clean sheet here since 4 October, they've taken points off Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Charlton and Leicester.

Heckingbottom will ensure that his side are up for this local derby, under the lights on Friday night, and they will play with plenty of intensity throughout the 90 minutes. Andrew Hughes, Liam Lindsay and Jordan Storey are an experienced and combative back three, with Odel Offiah and recent signing Jamal Lewis providing plenty of width. Michael Smith was superb against Millwall before the international break, and he will give the Blackburn defence very little peace.

Val Ismael's side have been better on the road this season, conceding just 0.86 goals per game on their travels. Their counter-attacking style has worked well, and they have beaten Bristol City, Leicester, Watford and Hull away from home, keeping a clean sheet in each of those encounters.

It remains to be seen whether Todd Cantwell is fit enough to feature, but Scott Wharton's ankle injury is a blow, and he will be missed at the back. Sondre Tronstad returns to the XI following his suspension.

Blackburn are fairly streaky under Ismael, and with their three-match winning streak snapped by Derby last time out, they may struggle to contain North End. They will need to fight and scrap, although they may narrowly lose this battle.

Bristol City vs Swansea - Managerless Swans to pick up a point

Saturday, 15:00, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Bristol City's injury crisis appears to be slowly easing. They still have several players on the treatment table, including long-term absentees such as Luke McNally, yet Cam Pring and Jason Knight are believed to be back in training and could in contention for this lunchtime KO. Gerhard Struber's side have played with plenty of energy and they've been exciting to watch, yet they've been plagued with inconsistencies due to several players being asked to stay on the pitch for longer than expected.

They've collected just a single point from their last three games, including a humbling at the hands of Stoke. They have a 3-2-3 record at Ashton Gate so far this season, making them fairly tricky to predict.

Swansea's managerial hunt has continued a little longer than many expected with the Welsh outfit seemingly missing out on Kim Hellberg who is Boro bound. Former boss Russell Martin would be a popular choice with the fans, yet former Liverpool coach Vitor Matos is believed to be amongst the frontrunners.

The club's form took a nosedive under Sheehan, who was given his marching orders earlier in the month. They've won just one of their last seven, yet the squad is decent and feels a lot stronger than in previous seasons. They're unbeaten in three of their last four away games and may just be able to take a point.

Charlton vs Southampton - BTTS at the Valley

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

Charlton have been very impressive at the Valley, losing just a single game in front of their own fans. Nathan Jones, who will face his former employers, Southampton, here, has instilled his work rate and intensity into the Addicks squad, yet some fans believe that this all-action, feverish approach has led to a raft of injuries, particularly in defence.

The hosts have conceded just four times at this venue, and are yet to ship a first-half goal in front of their own fans. Nevertheless, they will be without Josh Edwards, Amari Bell and Reece Burke for this clash, alongside strikers Matty Godden and Charlie Kelman. Despite their defensive solidity, reshuffling the back-line is unlikely to help, and they are unlikely to keep a clean sheet here.

Southampton have a terrible record at this stadium, and facing a side who have won 18 of their last 23 home matches is far from ideal. At the time of writing, Saints are yet to confirm Will Still's replacement, but performances have been better under interim boss Tonda Eckert. They've scored five times in the last two matches, although a clean sheet continues to elude them.

Coventry vs West Brom - Sky Blues to turn up the heat on Ryan Mason

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports Football

Coventry went into the November international break with a five-point cushion, having amassed 34 points across their first 15 games. The Sky Blues have been scoring for fun, yet, defensively, they've been solid at home, conceding just four times at the CBS. Although some of their performances at the end of October weren't particularly convincing, they were back to their best last time out as they edged out Stoke in Staffordshire. That was their seventh clean sheet of the season, and they should relish the chance to face a side who have struggled to convert their chances.

At the other end of the pitch, Brandon Thomas-Asante has been the standout striker, although Haji Wright has contributed significantly, and Matt Grimes' composure in the centre of the park has been a catalyst for their success. Lampard has tweaked the squad, as opposed to completing an overhaul, and that high level of continuity has enabled them to hit the ground running.

West Brom went into the international break with a victory over Oxford, yet very few fans will be satisfied with 14th place in mid-November. Goals have become an issue for the Baggies, and the travelling fans have had very little to cheer recently. They haven't netted more than a single goal in an away game since August 16th and have failed to notch in three of their last four. Finding a way past a dominant and confident Coventry side could be tricky.

Birmingham vs Norwich - Entertaining start for Clement

Saturday, 15:00

Birmingham continue to struggle on the road and slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough before the international break. At St. Andrews, Chris Davies appears to have found the right balance, with the Blues winning each of their last two fixtures here by a 4-0 scoreline.

They were utterly dominant in those games and have been free-scoring lately in the West Midlands, notching 2+ goals in their last four home fixtures. Jay Stansfield and Marvin Ducksh have struck a nice balance up front and the addition of Callum Doyle in midfield has given other players license to maraud forward.

Norwich appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement this week, ending their nine-day search for Liam Manning's successor. Although the squad looks significantly weaker than previous seasons, the players did not respond to Manning's methods and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Canaries play with a little more freedom here. The Belgian hasn't had long to get his feet under the table, yet his sides tend to be fluid going forward and create plenty of chances. That style could lead to an open game.

Derby vs Watford - Watford's woes to continue on the road

Saturday, 15:00

In the six-game form table, Derby are joint-top with leaders Coventry. The Rams have taken 15 points from a possible 18, netting nine times and conceding just four. They're unbeaten in over a month, and have conceded just three goals in their last five. John Eustace's side made a slow start, but they've found their feet and in typical Eustace fashion, they are incredibly difficult to break down and exploit set-piece situations.

If there was one small criticism of their recent performances, it would be the over-reliance on Carlton Morris, who has eight more goals than any of his teammates. Morris' hard-working, industrious style is dovetails nicely with summer addition Patrick Agyemang and they are likely to cause issues for the Hornets' backline.

Watford are incredibly inconsistent, which is not a surprise given the make-up of their squad. They have some experienced heads in the XI playing alongside younger players who are talented, but raw. Imran Louza's inclusion in the side undoubtedly elevates them, however, their form on the road is poor. No side has taken fewer points than Watford on their travels and they were clinging on for dear life at Ipswich a fortnight ago. This could be tough for the visitors.

Ipswich vs Wrexham - Points shared at Portman

Saturday, 15:00

Ipswich are closing in on the play-offs and have looked much sharper in recent weeks. This is the Tractor Boys' first-ever league meeting with Wrexham and having won four of their last six at Portman Road, they will fancy their chances coming into this game.

The squad is deep and hugely talented and Keiran McKenna could afford to drop Jaden Philogene and replace him with Jack Clarke, who produced a tidy performance against Swansea. Chuba Akpom and Sindre Walle Egeli were also left on the bench for the previous game, giving McKenna plenty of options ahead of this fixture. The hosts are playing well, although they've won just one of their last three here, dropping points against Charlton and Watford.

Wrexham have become much tougher opposition throughout October and November. A mixture of naivety and new signings bedding in led to a slow start, but they're now unbeaten in nine of their last ten with their only defeat coming against in-form Stoke, who beat them narrowly at the 365.

Coventry are the only team to score more than a single goal against them since September 20th and they should be able to restrict the hosts here. Furthermore, if Nathan Broadhead gets an opportunity to start this one, the former Ipswich man will surely be heavily involved.

Leicester vs Stoke - Stingy Potters to avoid defeat at the KP

Saturday, 15:00

Leicester's patchy form continued into the international break with Marti Cifuentes' side leaving it late to snatch all three points from Norwich. It was a deserved and much-needed victory for the Spaniard, and for the club, who had been victorious in just one of their previous ten.

The Foxes are likely to need a significant clearout in January and the XI could look entirely different when the two teams meet again in February. Home wins have been hard to come by, with no success in the last five here and the home crowd have become a bit restless. They need to take three points from this encounter, but it won't be easy.

Very few would have predicted Stoke's lofty position at this stage of the campaign. Mark Robins is an astute operator and although his side's aren't often renowned for defensive solidity, he has turned this Potters side into a well-oiled machine.

They've won each of their last two on the road and are aiming to make it three on the bounce for the first time in almost 20 years. Only one side has managed to put more than a single goal past the visitors when on hosting duties this season and they are likely to frustrate and limit Leicester once again.

Portsmouth vs Millwall - Patched-up pair to notch at Fratton

Saturday, 15:00

Pompey's season has been heavily disrupted by injuries and they come into this game without a fit left-back in the squad. Connor Ogilvie's injury, sustained against Hull, will keep him out of action until January and John Mousinho will be forced to shuffle his pack once again for this fixture. On a positive note, Nico Schmid, Callum Lang and Adrian Segecic are all back in contention and may be fit enough to start this game. Creativity will undoubtedly improve with Lang and Segecic back in the XI, and their returns could not come at a better time with Pompey having drawn blanks in their last two home games and three of their last four overall.

They looked sharper going forward against Hull with Terry Devlin, producing a standout performance and Josh Murphy starting to influence things once again.

Millwall went into the international break presiding over their longest winless stretch of the season so far. It's not been easy for Alex Neil's men, who have also suffered their fair share of fitness issues. Mihailo Ivanovic dropped out of international duty with a knock and is touch and go for this weekend's fixture. Femi Azeez and Alfie Doughty are back in training, but this game may come too soon for the duo.

It's never a wise idea to write off the Lions, who, barring a 4-0 defeat at St. Andrews, have been better on the road this season. They'll be expecting to get on the scoresheet here.

Oxford vs Middlesbrough - Boro to continue where they left off

Saturday, 15:00

Gary Rowett has been given the vote of confidence by the Oxford hierarchy. The Yellows have been plagued with inconsistencies, losing their last two matches and winning just two of their previous nine. The 3-0 defeat to Stoke was their heaviest home loss of the season, and they face yet another side who are gunning for promotion on Saturday.

Oxford tend to be competitive under Rowett's stewardship, although with just a single home success, against his former club Derby, the likelihood of the Kassam faithful being able to celebrate a victory on Saturday feels remote.

Middlesbrough will appoint Kim Hellberg this week. The Hammarby boss is set to replace Rob Edwards, who defected to Wolves following a promising start on Teesside. Boro were victorious under Adi Viveash prior to the international break and the experienced coach will remain part of the team going forward.

Hellberg won't have had much chance to influence this fixture, but Viveash will have the XI perfectly prepared and that should be enough to collect maximum points. Their away form has been inconsistent, but they have beaten the bottom two on their travels and they will confident of collecting three points here.

QPR vs Hull - Tricky Tigers to tame the hosts

Saturday, 15:00

QPR's form has taken a downturn lately and the R's come into this fixture without a victory in four games. Julian Stephan's side have played well in fits and starts, yet they sit 16th in the table and the home fans haven't witnessed a victory since September 20th.

There is a growing frustration amongst supporters, however, the squad is decent enough and several players including Rumarn Burrell and Nicolas Madsen are clearly enjoying playing under the Frenchman. Although they have looked strong in midfield, the West Londoners continue to make mistakes at the back and they could find Hull's industrious frontline hard to deal with.

Hull have surpassed most people's expectations, sitting fifth in the table. The Tigers have a terrific energy going forward, yet they make countless mistakes at the back and have kept just a single clean sheet in their last six. John Lundstram is expected to be fit for this encounter and he should be able to help win the midfield battle.

The visitors have scored in each of their last six away days, netting 2+ in four of those and they should be able to take advantage of the host's iffy back-line.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United - End-to-end Steel City derby expected

Sunday, 12:00pm, Live on Sky Sports Football

The Steel City derby returns on Sunday lunchtime and it couldn't come at a better time for the hosts. The Owls have entered administration, but fans are flocking back into Hillsborough and the addition of the experienced Liam Cooper has further increased optimism.

Wednesday have been far better away from home this season, although they stopped the rot with a 1-1 against Norwich last time out and the players will be up for the fight. Henrik Pederson has managed to motivate his squad and many of the players, including Yann Valery have had to adapt to new roles and different positions.

Sheffield United have made an exceptionally poor start to the campaign and even the re-arrival of Chris Wilder has failed to lift them out of the drop zone. The Blades managed to halt their losing streak with a goalless draw against QPR last time out, and it gives them something to build on. They've scored first in each of their last two away games, yet haven't been able to hold onto the lead and suffered a spectacular collapse at Deepdale. Chris Wilder is pumped for this Steel City derby and he should be able to motivate his troops for a frenetic 90 minutes.

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