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Championship | Gameweek 1

Sep 12, 2020 at 3pm UK

Ashton Gate Stadium

Bristol City
2 - 1
Coventry

Paterson (1'), Kalas (82')
Rowe (14'), Vyner (52')

FT(HT: 1-1)

Godden (33')
Hamer (12')

Preview: Bristol City vs. Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 10 September 2020

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship fixture between Bristol City and Coventry City, including team news and injury news.

Bristol City welcome Coventry City to Ashton Gate looking to hit the ground running after a poor second half of last season.

Meanwhile, League One champions Coventry will be hopeful of a positive start in the Championship after building some momentum in recent weeks.

Match preview

Bristol City assistant manager Dean Holden pictured in July 2020 © Reuters

Given the names which were linked with the Bristol City job during the off-season, it came as a surprise when the club's hierarchy opted to hand the reins to Dean Holden on a permanent basis.

However, after claiming 11 points from six matches in caretaker charge, Holden will feel that he deserves his opportunity, and the 40-year-old has been backed in the transfer market.

Alfie Mawson, Joe Williams, Chris Brunt and Chris Martin are all proven performers at this level, while Stephane Sessegnon could prove to be an important addition from Fulham.

While each of the arrivals may require time to settle into life at Ashton Gate, Bristol City look in excellent shape ahead of the new campaign as they bid to overcome issues with inconsistency in recent years.

Despite being further boosted by an EFL Cup victory over Exeter City, the Robins face an opening-day test in the form of opponents who are on an upward trajectory.

Since his arrival in 2017, Mark Robins has helped Coventry to two promotions, the second of which came while playing at Birmingham City's St Andrew's ground.

The same conundrum faces the Sky Blues this season, but their manager will be optimistic that the neutral territory will not prove detrimental going forward.

Regardless of their recent success, Robins has taken the opportunity to make nine additions ahead of the new campaign, many of whom are young players looking to make their mark in the game.

Their desire to impress can only benefit Coventry during a prolonged period of uncertainty, and it would not come as a huge surprise if they enjoyed a comfortable nine months in mid-table.

Bristol City form (all competitions): W

Coventry City form (all competitions): W

Team News

Coventry City manager Mark Robins pictured on January 14, 2020 © Reuters

Robins will have to make at least one change to his Coventry XI after Declan Drysdale was sent off against MK Dons.

Leo Ostigard could take his place after spending time representing Norway Under-21s over the past seven days.

Brunt and Sessegnon may have to bide their time for a debut after linking up with Bristol City earlier this week.

However, Tomas Kalas could come into the backline after representing Czech Republic on international duty, while Kasey Palmer will hope for a start after remaining as an unused substitute in the EFL Cup.

Bristol City possible starting lineup:
Bentley; Kalas, Moore, Mawson; Massengo; Hunt, Weimann, Paterson, Dasilva; Diedhiou, Wells

Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Marosi; Pask, Ostigard, McFadzen, Hyam, Giles; Allen, Hamer, Shipley, O'Hare; Godden

SM words green background

We say: Bristol City 2-1 Coventry City

All things considered, this one should be a close one to call. Nevertheless, with Holden and his squad aware of their responsibility to put together a sustained promotion bid, we are going to give Bristol City the benefit of the doubt here.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Coventry City win with a probability of 37.15%. A win for Bristol City had a probability of 36.53% and a draw had a probability of 26.3%.

The most likely scoreline for a Coventry City win was 0-1 with a probability of 9.64%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.21%) and 0-2 (6.32%). The likeliest Bristol City win was 1-0 (9.54%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.52%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with an 8.1% likelihood.