Preston vs Sheffield United Championship prediction: Blades quest for immediate Premier League return begins
Sheffield United will look to bounce back from a humiliating Premier League campaign, starting with their Championship opening day trip to Preston North End.
Preston vs Sheffield United Championship prediction: Blades quest for immediate Premier League return begins
Preston vs Sheffield United latest prediction
Betting tips
Preston 1-1 Sheffield United (11/2 with Bet365)
Preston were inconsistent at Deepdale in the Championship last season, winning 11, drawing four and losing eight of their 23 home matches. They also only kept four clean sheets at home in the league.
Kieffer Moore to score anytime (13/5 with Bet365)
Kieffer Moore only spent the second half of last season in the Championship, joining Ipswich Town on loan from Bournemouth. In his 18 appearances, Moore scored seven goals to help Ipswich gain promotion. And now he’s back in the Championship with Sheffield United.
Sheffield United to have the most corners (5/6 with Sky Bet)
Preston averaged 4.22 corners won per match in the Championship last season but conceded an average of 5.2.
Sheffield United’s return to the Premier League last season really couldn’t have gone much worse. The Blades conceded a whopping 104 goals, a Premier League record over both 38 and 42-game seasons, while they won just three times, lost 28 games and took only 16 points. Only Sunderland (15 in 05/06) and Derby County (11 in 07/08) have endured worse campaigns. Now, Chris Wilder will have to dust himself and his players down to win immediate promotion back to the top flight.
Wilder has experience in this situation, helping Sheffield United earn promotion as Championship runners-up in 2018/19. However, after such a bruising campaign, supporters remain far more cautious with their optimism levels.
First up is a testing trip to Preston North End, who started the 2023/24 campaign brilliantly and were in the thick of the play-off race for a long time. Unfortunately, they seemingly forgot that a Championship season lasts 46 games, with five defeats and four points from their final seven matches. As a result, Preston finished 10th, some 10 points outside the play-off places.
Preston latest team news
Preston have only made two major signings so far this summer, loaning Sam Greenwood from Leeds while acquiring Icelandic midfielder Stefan Teitur Thordarson from Silkeborg in Denmark. Meanwhile, the likes of Alan Browne, Ben Woodburn, and Greg Cunningham have all left the club.
Freddie Woodman missed Preston’s final two pre-season friendlies with an injury, but has returned to training. A decision will be made on Thursday, with David Cornell waiting in the wings. Ali McCann and Layton Stewart are expected to miss out.
Sheffield United latest team news
On Wednesday, Sheffield United confirmed the loan signing of Alfie Gilchrist from Chelsea and he will be available for feature. He’s one of seven new arrivals at Bramall Lane, including new striker Kieffer Moore from Bournemouth.
However, the likes of Cameron Archer, Jayden Bogle and George Baldock have left — with 13 players leaving permanently.
Sam McCallum and Gustavo Hamer have both been working their way back to full fitness this summer and should be ready to feature on Friday.
Preston vs Sheffield United head-to-head
Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last six against Preston, while they’ve lost just one of the last eight meetings across all competitions. The Blades won 4-1 and 2-0 during the 2022/23 season.
| Preston vs Sheffield United H2H | |||||||
| Date | Score | Ground | |||||
| 29/04/23 | Sheffield United 4-1 Preston | Bramall Lane, Sheffield | |||||
| 17/09/22 | Preston 0-2 Sheffield United | Deepdale, Preston | |||||
| 18/01/22 | Preston 2-2 Sheffield United | Deepdale, Preston | |||||
| 14/09/21 | Sheffield United 2-2 Preston | Bramall Lane, Sheffield | |||||
| 04/09/20 | Sheffield United 2-2 Preston | Bramall Lane, Sheffield | |||||
| 06/04/19 | Preston 0-1 Sheffield United | Deepdale, Preston | |||||
How to watch Preston vs Sheffield United live
This game will be broadcast live on Friday 9th August at 8pm on Sky Sports+.
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