Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Championship Preview – Matchday 9

Deke Hardman in Editorial, English Championship 21 Sep 2018

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Leeds United will fancy their chances of maintaining their unbeaten start to the Championship season as they take on Birmingham City at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

The league leaders are the only side in the division yet to taste defeat and few would back Garry Monk’s side to alter that statistic being one of just teams yet to win.

The Blues have drawn six of their eight games so far, a record which sees them outside of the relegation zone just one point better off than Reading and Preston North End and two better than bottom-of-the-table Ipswich Town.

Goal shy

Middlesbrough are just a point behind Marcelo Bielsa’s side and will look to keep the pressure on with a victory against a Swansea City side who have failed to score in their last two games.

Only three sides in the division have scored fewer goals than the Swans while Boro have by far the meanest defence having shipped just three.

Derby County also failed to score in each of their last two games and face a tough game against promotion hopefuls Brentford, who will be keen to return to winning ways after only managing to draw at Ipswich in midweek.

Rising

West Bromwich Albion appear only to be heading in one direction having taken seven points from the last nine available – a run culminating in Tuesday evening’s 4-2 win over Bristol City.

Darren Moore’s side can now be backed at a price of 6/4 to be promoted at the first time of asking.

That result ended a run of four straight wins for the Robins, and they will be looking to get back on track on Friday evening when they travel to Wigan Athletic.

Sheffield United climbed back into the playoff places on Wednesday evening and will look to tighten their grip on a top six spot when the welcome Preston and North End to Bramall Lane though just three teams sit behind them on goal difference – Derby, Wigan and Aston Villa.

Villa take on Sheffield Wednesday, who lost for a first time in five league games last time out, with that defeat coming at Nottingham Forest who will look to build on that win when they welcome Rotherham United to the City Ground.

Form

Stoke City have the chance to continue their rise up the table as they face a Blackburn Rovers side who sit three places and two points above them while there is a clash between two in form sides in Saturday’s late kick-off as Queens Park Rangers take on Norwich City.

Reading have the chance to climb out of the relegation zone as they welcome Hull City to the Madejski Stadium while Ipswich may fancy their chances of finally registering a victory as they play a Bolton Wanderers side who have taken just one point from the last twelve available to them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deke Hardman


Freelance football writer with a love of the game that goes back to the mid nineties when both his beloved Nottingham Forest and England had genuine hope of acheiving some level of success. A regular contributor to both SoccerNews.com and FreeBetting.com, Deke also dabbles in music journalism with his heart and head still stuck in the latter years of the twentieth century.

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