Bristol City vs Southampton tips & Championship prediction
Bristol City vs Southampton tips
Southampton produced a brilliant comeback to preserve their unbeaten record in the Championship last time out and now face another challenge against Bristol City on Tuesday (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
The Saints' 21-match unbeaten record was put to the test by Huddersfield Town, who stormed into a 2-0 lead at St Mary’s Stadium. Joe Rothwell scored a brace, including a stunning volley to bring the hosts’ level, only for the Terriers to retake the lead.
However, Russell Martin’s men equalised once more before Sekou Mara and Samuel Edozie wrapped up the three points.
The result ensured that Southampton remained above Leeds in the second automatic promotion spot, but the challenges keep coming for the Saints on the road to Bristol City.
Liam Manning’s side produced a fine performance of their own to defeat Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. The Robins ended a six-game winless run in the Championship as strikes from Jason Knight and Matty James helped secure a 2-1 victory.
Despite Bristol City’s impressive win, the Saints are favourites with football betting sites, while you can find a price of 15/4 to back the Robins to end Southampton’s unbeaten run.
Saints to edge out improving Robins
Bristol City’s six-game winless run ended against Middlesbrough, but there were positive signs even before the result. The Robins beat West Ham in their FA Cup third-round replay before taking Nottingham Forest all the way to penalties in the fourth round.
They should have beaten Coventry on the road before suffering a narrow defeat to Leeds at Ashton Gate. There are encouraging signs for the Robins as Manning looks to be putting his mark on the club.
They’re six points off the pace of the play-offs and in a throng of teams that are treading water in mid-table. It will take a real surge for them to break into the top six. That is easier said than done against the Saints, who are unbeaten in 22 league games.
Even Huddersfield’s 2-0 lead was not enough to end the streak as Southampton flashed their brilliance in the final third to secure a 5-3 win.
Like the other relegated teams from last season, Martin’s side have so many options available and seemingly each week someone raises their hand to produce a match-winning performance.
Bristol City will be a tough nut to crack as Leeds found at Ashton Gate. The Whites were able to notch a 1-0 win, and after looking at betting apps, we believe the 11/4 odds with bet365 is worthwhile considering for Southampton to do the same.
Adams return to form?
Che Adams enjoyed an excellent start to the Championship campaign, scoring in his opening three games. He was heavily linked with a move to Everton, which failed to materialise on the final day of the summer transfer window.
The Scotland international failed to score in his next 13 appearances and the speculation regarding his future may have impacted his form on the pitch. But, Martin got his man firing in December as the Saints upped the ante in their charge up the standings.
The 27-year-old scored five goals in eight games, notably getting the opening strike in wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea along with a draw against Watford. He has not scored in his last two Championship matches, surprisingly not finding the net against Huddersfield.
On his day, Adams is a nightmare for opposing defenders and is one of the best finishers in the Championship. The Saints will need those attributes in a tight game at Ashton Gate.
Betting sites have priced up Adams as one of the favourites to score any time, but we like the value of 5/1 for the forward to notch the opening goal with BoyleSports.
Expect goalmouth action
Martin is never one to back down from a challenge and he will be keen to take the game to Bristol City.
On occasions, his open style of play can come back to haunt his teams. Huddersfield nearly profited at the weekend, but we’re not expecting a dull encounter at Ashton Gate.
The Robins have the players to hurt Southampton on the break, while the visitors have quality in abundance throughout their line-up.
The Saints have recorded at least seven shots on target in their last three league games, while Manning’s side allowed six shots on the target on their net against Leeds and Middlesbrough.
We may see Southampton test Max O’Leary between the Robins’ posts, although there could be issues for Gavin Bazunu at the other end as Huddersfield showed.
We’re hopeful for an entertaining game, so we’re backing over 9.5 shots on target in the match at 10/11 with William Hill.
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Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.
