Preston North End FC vs Sheffield United Preview
The new Championship season starts this weekend. Preston hosts Sheffield United at Deepdale in a fascinating clash. These teams had rough endings to their last campaigns, so they hope to find their groove quickly. Kickoff is at 8 pm on Friday, August 9th.
Preston were surprise playoff contenders for a chunk of last year until a brutal run-in ended their dream. Meanwhile, Sheffield had one of the worst Premier League seasons in history as they suffered relegation.
The Blades faithful expect their team to go straight back up. Preston North End fans have mixed feelings about Ryan Lowe’s project and hope to find consistency this campaign. It is a tough opening game for both sides in their pursuit of glory.
Preston North End FC vs Sheffield United Key Stats and Head-to-Head
It’s difficult to know where these teams are right now. Preston fans watched their players beat Fiorentina and lose to Southport in preseason. They’ll hope for a revival after a dismal end to their last campaign. Ryan Lowe’s men lost their final five games as they conceded 11 goals and only scored three.
This was bitterly disappointing for their fanbase after keeping in touch with the playoffs for so long. Ultimately, they had nothing to play for, so they downed tools. But they had a more enjoyable season than the Blades.
Chris Wilder took over after Paul Heckingbottom’s dismissal but couldn’t inspire the team up the table. United had a horrendous season as they finished with just 16 points. They conceded a record 104 goals and had an atrocious -69 goal difference.
Some analysts think a season in the Championship will be a good palate cleanser for Sheffield United. But their fans expect their team to be amongst the promotion contenders this year. It’s going to be a big ask with their current squad.
Wilder has seen more outgoings than incomings this summer. Sheffield has moved on a dozen players this summer. They sold Cameron Archer back to Aston Villa for a hefty fee while Ben Brereton Diaz’s loan concluded. Meanwhile, regular starters John Egan, Jayden Bogle, and George Baldock are among several big names to depart. Wilder is openly pleading with the club’s owners to do more business.
Options are very limited in attack. Kieffer Moore joins Rhian Brewster as Wilder’s main forward options. They’ve also signed the likes of Callum O’Hare and Harrison Burrows. It’s fair to say that the Blades fanbase is worried about their team’s lack of depth as they go into the new season. Sheffield is pursuing younger players in a bid to reduce expenditure.
Football fans will probably see Adam Davies start in goal for Sheffield in this game. The veteran stopper has plenty of experience at the Championship level, with over 200 appearances for Barnsley and Stoke City. He played second-fiddle to Ivo Grbic last season, but that didn’t go well. Grbic had a nightmarish year and wants to return to La Liga. There’s a tremendous opportunity for Welsh international Davies to seal his spot as a starter.
It’s been a quiet summer for Preston in the transfer window. They’ve only signed two players but plan to do more business. They bought Iceland’s Stefan Teitur Thordarson from Silkeborg for about a million euros. Meanwhile, they’ve taken Sam Greenwood on loan from Leeds.
Preston suffered a significant blow when Alan Browne rejected a contract extension. The Ireland international opted to join Sunderland on a free transfer instead. Meanwhile, his fellow Irishman, Greg Cunningham, returned home to Galway United.
We might finally see the end of Wilder’s inverted full-back system. He set his team up in a diamond formation instead of with his signature back-five. Perhaps personnel changes forced his hand, but this may provide fresh impetus.
Robbie Brady take a bow son!😮💨🇮🇪
What a chip from Brady against Liverpool earlier today, wand of a left foot!🪄pic.twitter.com/XvFKUlqC5e
— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) July 19, 2024
Preston manager Ryan Lowe is one of the Championship’s youngest gaffers. But with over 620 EPL appearances, he’s a seasoned campaigner. This is a big year for him because he can’t afford any more losing streaks.
Sheffield United and Preston have played each other five times since 2020. They’ve played out three 2-2 draws with both teams winning a game apiece. Sheffield enjoyed the most recent success in this rivalry with a 4-1 victory in April 2023. The likes of Oli McBurnie and John Fleck were on the scoresheet for the Blades while Liam Delap grabbed a consolation for Preston.
Preston North End FC vs Sheffield United Predictions
Predicted Score: Preston 0 – 0 Sheffield
Our soccer prediction sees Preston North End and Sheffield United settling for a draw. Both teams are in transition before the new season. Neither side is at full strength because they haven’t completed their transfer business. There may even be more outgoings and incomings before this clash.
This will probably be a disjointed performance because neither team has great attacking options. Preston has quality in their ranks with Robbie Brady enjoying an effective preseason. He scored a breathtaking goal against Liverpool during the summer and is always a set-piece threat.
United are lacking options at the top of the field. Rhian Brewster is likely to start this game but has failed to deliver since leaving Liverpool for big money. We don’t see either team successfully breaking the other down.
However, if there’s a winner, it’s likely to be by a single goal. Corners and free kicks will offer crucial opportunities. The in-play markets will swing if either side nabs an early goal.
Preston North End FC vs Sheffield United Betting Tips
Sheffield United is the betting favourite to win this game outright. It’s 13/10 for them to emerge victorious in Deepdale. A €10 stake would see potential profits of €13. Meanwhile, betting on Preston at 19/10 would win €29 if successful.
Our predicted outcome is a draw. It’s 12/5 for this result with potential winnings of €24. This may be very tempting for some players. Preston struggled to score last season while the Blades lack prolific forwards. Why not take this one step further and bet on a 0-0 result at 9/1?
Betting on soccer offers many markets and prop bet opportunities. Players can wager on whether both teams will score. They can also place stakes on over-under markets. It’s 10/11 for there to be fewer than 2.5 goals. This seems like a nailed-on result.
However, it may tempt you to bet on a 1-0 anytime score. Both teams offer a set-piece threat, so it wouldn’t be that surprising. Other over-under betting options include the number of corners and yellow cards. Also, consider betting on the Man of the Match award. New signings like Callum O’Hare will be desperate to make an impression on their competitive debuts.
⚔️ “I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life working here”
📹 Extended interview with Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder ahead of the 2024/25 season 👇
🎧 Listen to the interview on Blades Heaven 👉 https://t.co/Y8EVBWYbMT#SUFC | @BBCSheffield | @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/d3XzfnVKxG
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) August 5, 2024
There’s plenty of Championship action this weekend as the EFL resumes. Newly promoted Oxford faces Norwich in a tough test. Other eye-catching fixtures include Stoke vs Coventry and you can bet on QPR vs West Brom. These teams will hope to be in the promotion discussion in the spring. New players can use our welcome bonus to bet on their favourite matchups with no extra risk.
Consider creating an accumulator with some of your favourite teams. The Championship often offers better odds than the Premier League because anybody can beat anybody. There are many exciting opportunities in our online bookmaker.
Don’t forget to think beyond this game. Blades fans desperately want their team to return to the Premier League. You can bet on Sheffield to secure promotion this season at 9/2. This time €10 could make €45 in profit.
Finally, Preston fans should look away now. It’s only 3/1 for them to go down this year. We don’t have faith in their ability to contend under Ryan Lowe. Time will tell if they can pull off a surprise.
Preston North End FC Team News and Predicted Lineup
It’s challenging to predict a team line-up while the transfer window remains open. Freddie Woodman may be an absentee after a minor muscular injury in training. This opens the door to popular backup keeper Dai Cornell.
Fans expect to see a similar lineup to the one that played Everton in their final pre-season friendly. Preston is also negotiating for Slavia Prague’s Norway striker Conrad Wallem. However, that deal is unlikely to conclude before this game.
- Preston Predicted Lineup: Cornell, Storey, Lindsay, Best, Potts, Whiteman, Frokjaer, Brady, Keane, Greenwood, and Osmajic.
Sheffield United Team News and Predicted Lineup
Chris Wilder’s side is lacking depth ahead of this season opener. Kieffer Moore is a significant doubt with Rhian Brewster likely to start. Adam Davies will play ahead of Ivo Grbic in goal.
Sheffield may make additional signings before this game. Wilder desperately wants to sign Tom Cannon. However, the Irishman may still have a part to play for Leicester this year.
- Sheffield Predicted Lineup: Davies, Seriki, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, McCallum, Hamer, Arblaster, Brooks, O’Hare, Davies, and Brewster.
