- Date: 24 February, Saturday
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 PM (GMT)
- Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City Preview:
As matchday 34 rolls out in the EFL Championship, Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City will kick off on Saturday afternoon with both teams desperate to grab three important points. Sheffield will host 12th-placed Bristol as they struggled to escape the grasp of relegation at the bottom. The Owls are currently 23rd in the league, with only Rotherham below them. The club has struggled with several issues on and off the pitch and are desperately looking to build on their victory last weekend. Safety is just four points away, and a victory against Bristol could revive their hopes of surviving relegation.
Meanwhile, Bristol seems to be content in the middle of the table. The Robins have accumulated 44 points till now and are a couple of victories away from confirming their mid-table finish. While the club aspired to finish higher in the league this season, injuries and inconsistency have ruined their plans. With little to nothing remaining to play for, the club is focusing on extracting the best out of youngsters. Bristol might make many rotations coming into the game away from home at Hillsborough Stadium.
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Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City Team News:
Sheffield Wednesday:
After a bad couple of weeks after New Years, Sheffield have managed to string together a couple of victories in their last few games. Last weekend, the Owls put up a valiant performance against Millwall and came away with a 2-0. The victory and clean sheet against 21st ranked Millwall will certainly boost their confidence in finishing outside the relegation zone. However, Sheffield still have a tricky path ahead, considering their increasing injury list.
Mohamed Diaby has served the club well since his return from loan in January, but his injury last week is set to rule him out for five weeks. The midfielder joined striker Josh Windass on the sidelines, who sustained an injury in early February. Defender Dominic Iorfa also suffered a brutal leg injury back in December, and is unlikely to return till mid-March.
Dynamic midfielder Callum Paterson has served Sheffield Wednesday well since he arrived at the club in 2020. His adaptability has helped the club utilize him in several positions. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion back in December and hasn’t returned to active play yet. His return hasn’t been determined. Sheffield’s latest casualty was Anthony Musaba who is unlikely to return for the Bristol City game. Striker Ashley Fletcher will miss the game through suspension.
Bristol City:
Bristol City participated in a tough battle against Queen Park Rangers and ended up losing the tie by a single goal. The club were forced to make some rotations taking into consideration their injuries. Winger Samuel Bell was having a fantastic season with Bristol before his leg injury last weekend. The 21-year-old had scored five goals in the league and now seems unlikely to return to football at least till mid to late March. Samuel was promptly joined by center-back Robert Atkinson on the sidelines with a brutal ACL injury. The center-back has led the Bristol defensive line this season and now is unlikely to feature for a long time. His recovery will govern his return.
Veteran center-back Kal Naismith’s hamstring injury in December continues to sideline him. He recently was reported to have returned to training, but isn’t match fit yet. Academy graduate Ayman Benarous also suffered an injury and is unfit to play against Sheffield.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City Predicted Lineups:
Sheffield Wednesday Expected XI:
James Beadle(GK), Pol Valentiń, Liam Palmer, Michael Ihiekwe, Di’shon Bernard, Marvin Johnson, Ian Carlo Poveda, Will Vaulks, Barry Bannan (C), Djeidi Gassama, Ike Ugbo
Bristol City Expected XI:
Max O’Leary(GK), Mark Sykes, Zak Vyner, Robert Dickie, Haydon Roberts, Matty James(C), Joe Williams, Anis Mehmeti, Jason Knight, Harry Cornick, Nahki Wells
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City Head-to-Head Record:
Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol are two historic clubs. While both clubs have struggled in recent decades, they’re heritage to English football. Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol have faced each other 65 times across 100 years. The clubs first met in 1906 and their latest meeting was in November last year. Historically, Sheffield United has dominated the tie, winning 30 and losing 19. However, the Owls have failed to win the fixture in the last four years.The battle between the two clubs has ended in a draw 16 times. When the two clubs met back in November, the two clubs were separated by a lone goal scored by Bristol City.
Last five results:
- Bristol City 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday:- Championship – 4 November, 2023
- Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Bristol City:- Championship – 17 April, 2021
- Bristol City 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday:- Championship – 27 September, 2020
- Bristol City 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday:- Championship – 28 June, 2020
- Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Bristol City:- Championship – 22 December, 2019
Prediction:
While Bristol is placed 12th in the table and Sheffield 23rd, the two clubs come into the fixture in exact opposite forms. Bristol City’s loss last weekend also resulted in a few injuries and will certainly affect the squad’s morale. Meanwhile, Sheffield will be boosted by the home crowd and their recent victory over Millwall. It will surely be a close-contested game. An interesting fact is that Bristol City’s last victory at Sheffield Wednesday came way back in 2012. On Saturday, Sheffield might be able to pull off an upset against mid-table Bristol City.
Predicted Score: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Bristol City
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City Betting Tips and Odds:
Bookmakers give Sheffield a slight edge over Bristol City
- Sheffield Wednesday win: 2.47
- Draw: 3.00
- Bristol City: 2.75
Odds Source: Oddspedia.com
Bookmaker: Stake
Where to watch Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City:
- India: Fancode
- England: Sky Sports
- USA: ESPN+
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