MX23RW : Friday, December 13 01:07:17| >> :120:12634:12634:
[monks data]
Sheffield Wednesday logo
Championship
Aug 8, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Bristol City

2-0

Lees (60'), McGugan (71')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Preview: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Bristol City

Sports Mole previews the opening-weekend Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City at Hillsborough.

After a summer of radical change, first up for Sheffield Wednesday in the 2015-16 Championship season is a visit from Bristol City.

The newly-promoted Robins will be keen to dampen the mood at Hillsborough having impressively won League One by a comfortable margin.


Wednesday

Besiktas JK Head Coach Carlos Carvalhal reacts during his team's UEFA Europa League group E qualifying football match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on December 1, 2011© Getty Images

Most thought that Stuart Gray had done a decent job guiding Wednesday to mid-table safety last term, but new owner Dejphon Chansiri decided it was time for a change.

He has brought in Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal after three years in the shadows, and eyebrows were raised at the appointment of a manager who has no experience playing or coaching on these shores.

With Carvalhal there are several foreign imports, the highlight being Marco Matias, who scored 17 goals in 33 games in the Portuguese top flight last term.

Carvalhal must improve the attack while maintaining the defensive quality. Wednesday kept 17 clean sheets in the league last term, equalling a club record. The Owls also made just one error leading directly to a goal - fewer than any other Championship team in 2014-15.

In their first five pre-season games, a narrow 1-0 win over non-League Ilkeston was their only victory, but they enter this match after a thumping 5-0 win over St Mirren at the weekend.

Pre-season form: DWDLLW


Bristol

Bristol City players celebrate their League One championship win on May 4, 2015© Getty Images

Steve Cotterill has undoubtedly done a tremendous job with City in his one-and-a-half seasons with the club, first steering them away from danger in 2013-14 before guiding them to a dominant title-winning campaign last term.

It was the first time that the Robins had finished first in any division since topping Division 3 South in 1955, and their 99-point haul was their highest ever final tally in a league season.

While fellow automatically-promoted side MK Dons have signed a host of players this summer, Cotterill has been able to keep the bulk of the squad that did so well last term.

The Robins only made their second signing earlier today with the capture of Ryan Fredericks from Tottenham Hotspur, with £2m striker Jonathan Kodjia the other arrival.

Fredericks will want a regular starting role, but he will have to earn his place in a defence that let in just 38 goals last season.

Cotterill's side were on course for an unbeaten pre-season until they suffered defeat a week ago to Yeovil Town.

Pre-season form: WWDDL


Team News

Vitoria SC's defender Bruno Gaspar (L) vies with Nacional's forward Marco Matias during the Portuguese league football match Vitoria de Guimaraes v CD Nacional at the Dom Alfonso Henriques stadium in Guimaraes on January 4, 2015© Getty Images

Of all the new foreign faces at Wednesday, Matias is the most likely to start having featured heavily in pre-season.

Elsewhere, Jack Hunt should be the new regular right-back with Lewis Buxton gone, and Lewis McGugan will be keen to continue his affinity with the Hillsborough faithful after an impressive loan spell last term.

City fans will be used to the bulk of the lineup on show at Hillsborough, with new face Kodjia the only likely debutant.

He will join club captain Aaron Wilbraham in attack, while further back Aden Flint will be keen to be back among the goals after scoring an impressive 14 from defence last term.

Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Sasso, Wiggins; Wallace, McGugan, Lopez, Matias; Nuhiu, May

Bristol possible starting lineup:
Fielding; Ayling, Flint, Williams; Little, Smith, Pack, Freeman, Bryan; Kodjia, Wilbraham


Head To Head

The Owls have not beaten the Robins in the last nine league meetings, with the most recent affair a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate when City were relegated in 2013.

Bristol fans will have fond memories of Hillsborough, the team having scored twice in the final five minutes on their last visit to snatch a 3-2 win.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Wednesday 1-2 Bristol

The plan might work for Chansiri with the Owls, but the product does not feel finished yet. Bristol's squad are familiar with one another and given their recent record against the side from South Yorkshire, it might be a winning start for Cotterill's men.



ID:237655: cacheID:237655:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:9146:
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Stevie May of Sheffield Wednesday celebrates his goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday at The Den on February 24, 2015
Read Next:
Championship preview: Sheffield Wednesday
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Rams
@
49ers
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
13Millwall196762017325
14Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
15Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
16Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
17Derby CountyDerby205692226-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth183872130-917
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!