Preview: Swansea City vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

Swansea City and Sheffield United will square off in South Wales on Saturday in the second round of games of the 2026-27 Championship season.

The hosts made a winning start in their curtain-raiser last weekend while the visitors played out a goalless draw on the opening day.

Match preview

Swansea City return to action on Saturday aiming to make it consecutive victories to kick off the Championship season and their first full term under Vitor Matos.

He took charge in late November and led the Welsh side to a creditable 11th-placed finish, with the Portuguese boss's 30 league games at the helm producing 14 wins and 47 points.

Then following a summer of plenty of change, as Matos set out to shape the squad in his image, their competitive season began at home to Birmingham City in the EFL Cup in early August, bowing out following a 1-0 defeat as August Priske scored the only goal.

Then with their full focus on the new Championship term - their ninth consecutive year in the second tier - the Swans began with a trip to Stoke City on Saturday and came from behind to win 2-1, as Joseph Opoku cancelled out Eric Bocat's opener in the first half and Adam Idah scored the decisive goal just after the hour mark.

With plenty of positives to take from that opening-day win on the road, Swansea City now head into a first home league game of the term in search of consecutive three-point hauls as they look to establish themselves at the right end of the division.

Their visitors, meanwhile, arrive in search of a first Championship win of the season at the second time of asking, having finished two places and four points behind the hosts in 2025-26.

That was a disappointing season for Sheffield United, who failed to mount another challenge for promotion back to the Premier League, after reaching the 2024-25 playoff final, while only basement side Sheffield Wednesday suffered more than their 22 defeats.

The Blades would turn their focus to 2026-27 with the hopes of returning to the fight for promotion back to the top flight on the back of a productive pre-season, and they began with a comfortably 3-0 victory away at third-tier Mansfield Town in the EFL Cup first round courtesy of goals from Patrick Bamford, Mark McGuinness and Callum O'Hare.

Their league curtain-raiser followed at home to Birmingham City last Saturday, and Chris Wilder's side were, at least, able to avoid an opening defeat as the contest ended goalless at Bramall Lane.

They now head into the first of a pair of trips to South Wales in back-to-back weeks with the aim of putting a first notch in their wins column amidst growing ownership concerns and uncertainty.

Swansea City Championship form:

Swansea City form (all competitions):

L W

Sheffield United Championship form:

Sheffield United form (all competitions):

W D

Team News

Swansea City may be unchanged from last week's opening-day victory, with defender Cameron Burgess ruled out by an injury.

They added attacker Ross Stewart to the ranks over the summer, but he is not ready to feature due to an ongoing injury of his own, meaning the line will again be led by Zan Vipotnik, who topped the Championship's scoring charts with 23 goals last season.

He may again be flanked by new arrivals Moussa Kounfolo Yeo and Joseph Opoku, who scored on his league debut last time out, while Elijah Just and Marko Stamenic should again operate ahead of midfielder Jay Fulton.

Sheffield United are also unlikely to make many alterations from their opener, with midfielder Kalvin Phillips not yet fit to feature after returning on loan from Manchester City.

Bamford will continue in the attack, having opened his account against Mansfield after hitting 12 league goals last time around, while Tom Cannon will hope to keep his place despite competition from Ryan One and Tyrese Campbell.

Wilder does have the option to rotate in midfield, with Tahith Chong, Oliver Arblaster and Jairo Riedewald fighting to come in after Joe Rothwell and Sydie Peck partnered up in the engine room with Callum O'Hare and Romelle Donovan supporting the strikers last time out.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; Lissah, Cabango, Welsh, Tymon; Fulton; Opoku, Just, Stamenic, Yeo; Vipotnik

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, McGuinness, Tanganga, McCallum; Chong, Rothwell, Peck, O'Hare; Bamford, Cannon

We say: Swansea City 2-1 Sheffield United

Swansea City quickly got up and running away from home last weekend, and we back them to make it two wins from two in their first home game at the weekend with an abundance of attacking quality to trouble the Blades.

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