English Championship: Game Week 26
Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
1st January 2024
Sheffield Wednesday will welcome Hull City at Hillsborough Stadium in Game Week 26 of the English Championship. The teams are coming on back of win in their respective games and will be looking to keep the momentum going. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?
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Sheffield Wednesday had been struggling to keep clean sheets before their game at Preston's Deepdale stadium on Friday evening. However, Owls manager Danny Rohl could only praise his team's strong defense after their hard-fought one-goal victory.
Marvin Johnson's goal in the 27th minute was the difference maker for Sheffield Wednesday, despite only having 31% possession at Deepdale. They limited Preston to just nine attempts, with only three on target, to end the year on a high note.
Rohl admitted that his team had some fortunate moments during the game, and Sheffield Wednesday, currently in 23rd place, still face the threat of relegation as they sit eight points below safety. However, they are now just two points behind 22nd place Queens Park Rangers, their next opponents.
Sheffield Wednesday fans will remember December fondly, as they earned 12 out of their 19 Championship points for the season. They have only failed to score in one of their last nine matches in the second tier.
Monday's game will be the ninth consecutive New Year's Day fixture for Sheffield Wednesday at home. However, they have only won three of their previous eight such matches. They now face a team that is comfortably above the relegation zone.
Sheffield Wednesday Predicted Lineup
Dawson, Bernard, Palmer, Ihiekwe, Johnson; Bannan, Bakinson, Valentin; Musaba, Cadamarteri, Gassama
Hull City form
Hull experienced consecutive defeats against Bristol City and Sunderland during the Christmas period, making their previous hard-fought match against Blackburn seem insignificant. Despite initially having a two-goal lead influenced by Liam Delap and Aaron Connolly, they allowed Sammie Szmodics and Harry Pickering to equalize. The second half of the game was less eventful compared to the first, but Alfie Jones ultimately secured a chaotic victory for Hull with a goal just after the hour mark. Liam Rosenior emphasized the importance of this triumph, considering it as their most significant win of the season thus far. As a result, they currently occupy the fourth and final playoff position in the table, holding a two-point advantage over Sunderland due to the Black Cats' failure to defeat Rotherham United. Rosenior's upcoming challenge is to improve their poor away performance, having only secured one win in their last five away matches, conceding an average of over two goals per game. However, Hull has a perfect record of winning all three of their Yorkshire derbies away from home on New Year's Day. One of their victories includes a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on January 1, 2020, and they continued their winning streak against the Owls with a 4-2 triumph at the MKM Stadium in August, largely attributed to Ozan Tufan's hat-trick.
Hull City Predicted Lineup
Ingram; Coyle, Jones, Greaves, Slater; Seri, Morton; Delap, Tufan, Traore; Connolly
Sheffield Wednesday vs Hull City Expert Tips
Sheffield Wednesday deserves recognition for their impressive defensive performance against Preston, and the recent holiday fixtures brought renewed energy to their battle for survival. Nevertheless, with the occurrence of two fresh injuries and an extra suspension to consider on New Year's Day, the Owls may face a harsh reality against Hull. The visiting team is currently experiencing a remarkable high after a dominating victory over Blackburn and has a history of success in this Yorkshire derby.