Bristol City are set to host their second pre-season game when they take on Swindon Town in a friendly at the High Performance Centre on Tuesday afternoon.
The hosts are preparing for another campaign in the Championship, while the visitors will be aiming to be competing near the top end of the League Two table next season.
Match preview
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Bristol City finished 14th in the Championship last season, 10 points off the playoff places but 15 points clear of the relegation zone, in what was an unremarkable second full season in charge for manager Nigel Pearson.
The Robins finished 17th in the previous campaign, so there was a little bit of progress last year, but Pearson will be hoping they can make more of a push for the top six in the upcoming campaign.
Pearson's side have only played one pre-season game up to this point, running out 6-2 winners against Torquay United on Saturday, in what was a solid start to their preparations for the 2023-24 season.
City's next task is against slightly better opposition, with Swindon Town currently playing two divisions higher than Torquay, but they did not fare well in their last pre-season match.
Indeed, Swindon suffered a defeat against Swansea City on Saturday, which is not too alarming in and of itself, but the manner of it will be a little disappointing, given that they were on the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing.
That said, Swansea will be playing in the Championship next season, and the Robins have looked more impressive in their other pre-season matches, recording a 2-0 win against Swindon Supermarine, and a 5-0 victory against Melksham Town.
Michael Flynn was appointed as manager at the start of May, and he will be hoping to build a side capable of battling for promotion next season, ahead of the club's third consecutive season in League Two.
Swindon did not manage to push for the playoffs last season, eventually finishing in 11th place, 14 points short of the top seven, so they will need to improve considerably if they are to return to the third tier next season.
The Robins have not come up against Bristol City since 2015, but they lost the last match between the two sides 3-0 at Ashton Gate in League One.
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Team News
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Bristol City have been fairly active in the transfer market, having signed Rangers defender Ross McCrorie, who could be set to start this Tuesday, as well as Queens Park Rangers' Rob Dickie, with the Englishman potentially slotting in at centre-back.
Other arrivals include left-back Haydon Roberts, with the 21-year-old joining on a free transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion, and Derby County central midfielder Jason Knight.
Swindon have let a number of players leave this summer, with Jonathan Williams joining fellow League Two side Gillingham, while Harry Parsons and Cian Harries have dropped down a level to the National League.
There have not been many arrivals for the Robins at this stage, despite the season starting in just under three weeks, but Murphy Mahoney could be in line for some game time, having joined on loan from QPR.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; McCrorie, Araoye, Dickie, Roberts; James, Scott, Mehmeti, Cornick; Weimann, Conway
Swindon Town possible starting lineup:
Mahoney; Hutton, Clayton, Blake-Tracy; Shade, Cain, Lavinier, Khan, Mceachran; Hepburn-Murphy, Austin
We say: Bristol City 3-0 Swindon Town
Bristol City are playing two divisions higher than Swindon Town, and they should have no problem recording a comfortable victory on Tuesday afternoon.
However, the main aim for both sides will be to get some much-needed minutes ahead of the rapidly-approaching 2023-24 campaign.
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Dominic Lund
