The Sky Bet Championship weekend continues on Sunday when one more match in the division takes place as Swansea City host Bristol City in a clash in which bragging rights are really all that is at stake.
Unfortunately there is no televised coverage of this match so if you are not at the game you will have to rely on social media updates and things like that to follow the action from the Swansea.com Stadium.
Swansea City
There is no hiding the fact that this is fast becoming a season to forget for Swansea City. I don’t think anyone would begrudge them a change in style and approach and they will have been cut a little bit of slack while that transition was going ahead but 30 matches into the campaign I think it is fair for their fans to be expecting them to pick up results by this stage. That isn’t really happening as they have only won two of their last 10 matches.
Goals have become a real issue of late. The Swans have only scored four goals in eight matches and they won’t need me to tell them that you can’t go anywhere with that sort of record. The positive for the Welsh outfit in this match is their home form is pretty good. They cemented that with a win against Blackburn Rovers here last week and three points from this match can at least send their fans home from a derby of sorts relatively happy.
Bristol City
Things aren’t going a whole lot better for Bristol City this term. You sense that things aren’t really going to change until they replace Nigel Pearson because the players just haven’t warmed to his outdated methods. That is a bit of a shame because when you look at their squad they have some exciting players but in this day and age when a team has decided it isn’t going to play for a manager there isn’t usually a way back and the change becomes inevitable.
The Robins did at least pick up a win in midweek although beating Reading is merely par for the course at the minute so they need another positive result before talks of a revival or anything like that can begin. The big concern for Bristol City here is their away form. They haven’t won any of their last nine matches on the road and they have conceded twice in every one of those games so there is clearly work to do on their travels.
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Team News
Swansea City will welcome one defender back from suspension but they will lose another for that reason. Ryan Manning will return after serving his ban but Ryan Bennett serves his in this match. Kyle Naughton remains out so there could be a debut for Finley Burns.
Bristol City will be without Callum O’Dowda for this match as the utility man is expected to be out for between 4-6 weeks with an injury. Nahki Wells is back in training but could have to settle for a place on the bench.
Betting
I’m not sure I would call Swansea City value to win this match but I do think they will win it and they are an acceptable enough price at odds against to do it. Bristol City on their travels just don’t seem to be able to stop goals going in their net and while the Swans aren’t the most free scoring side in the world, in fact they are terrible in the goal scoring department, I always say it is better to be the team who have struggled in front of goal against a weak defence rather than the good offensive side against a tight and well organised defence.
Swansea are a side who like a lot of the ball so this Bristol City defence will be under pressure to stay compact and defend as a unit but nine matches on the road of conceding two or more suggests that eventually they are going to cave into that pressure. I wouldn’t say Swansea are watertight at the back but Bristol City aren’t going to be able to score freely if they are not having much of the ball. I think overall Swansea are the better side here and I’ll back them to be the latest team to feast on this Bristol City back line.
Tips
WON – Back Swansea City to beat Bristol City for a 3/10 stake at 2.05 with BetVictor
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