A mid-table clash in the Championship takes place at Ashton Gate on Saturday as Bristol City play host to Hull City.
While the Robins are yet to lose on home soil in 2023, the Tigers are seeking to avoid a fourth successive away game without a win.
Match preview
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Three days after playing out a 1-1 draw at home against relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic, Bristol City came from behind to draw by the same scoreline away against Sunderland last weekend.
The Black Cats were seemingly on their way to claim all three points courtesy of a stunning Jack Clarke opener just before the hour mark, but the Robins restored parity in the 93rd minute when Nakhi Wells converted from the penalty spot – remarkably the club's first spot kick for 469 days – after Jay Dasilva was brought down inside the area.
Nigel Pearson's side have now extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 11 matches and they have climbed up to 15th in the Championship standings, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and nine points behind the playoffs.
Bristol City will be confident of extending their unbeaten streak on Saturday as they have won 15 of their last 19 home meetings against Hull, including each of their last three in a row.
Indeed, the Robins cruised to a 5-0 victory in their last home encounter against Hull, with Andreas Weimann scoring a brace; the Austrian has scored more league goals against the Tigers (six) than he has against any other team in English football.
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After winning 1-0 against Cardiff City in their opening game of February, Hull have since failed to win each of their last three league matches, including last weekend's goalless stalemate at home against Preston North End.
Preventing the Lilywhites from registering a single shot on target, Liam Rosenior will have been pleased with his side's defensive resilience and they have now kept four clean sheets in their last five league matches, as many as they had recorded in their previous 30 fixtures combined.
Victories are required if they wish to make a late push for the playoffs, though, as they currently sit 13th in the Championship table, one point above Saturday's opponents Bristol City and eight points behind the top five, and they have played a game more than both fifth-placed Millwall and sixth-placed Luton Town.
Hull have only won two of their last eight matches on the road, but they can be confident of success on Saturday as they have already beaten Bristol City this term, claiming a 2-1 home victory on the opening day of the season back in July thanks to second-half strikes from Ozan Tufan and Jean Michael Seri, the latter of whom netted a dramatic 94th-minute winner.
Securing three points at Ashton Gate would see the Tigers complete the league double over the Robins for the first time since the 1964-65 campaign.
Team News
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Bristol City defender Rob Atkinson is ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a serious knee injury in the draw with Sunderland, and he now joins Tommy Conway, Kal Naismith and Kane Wilson on the treatment table.
Tomas Kalas is the most likely candidate to replace Atkinson in the starting lineup, joining George Tanner, Zak Vyner and Cameron Pring in the back four.
Highly-rated teenager Alex Scott is set to continue in the number 10 role, while Weimann, Wells and Harry Cornick will all be looking to force their way into the first XI after beginning on the substitutes' bench last time out.
As for Hull, Aaron Connolly is doubtful with a foot injury, while Nathan Baxter (ankle), Vaughn Covil (ACL), Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Adama Traore (both hamstring) all remain sidelined with long-term problems.
Rosenier is unlikely to make too many changes, if any, to his starting lineup, with top scorer Oscar Estupinan – who has 12 strikes to his name this term – set to be joined in attack by Dimitrios Pelkas.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Tanner, Kalas, Vyner, Pring; James, Williams; Sykes, Scott, Weimann; Wells
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Ingram; Christie, Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves; Longman, Simons, Turfan, Slater; Estupinan, Pelkas
We say: Bristol City 2-1 Hull City
A closely-fought contest is set to be played out between two teams who will fancy their chances of coming away with all three points on Saturday.
Considering their impressive unbeaten run, we believe that the Robins will get their revenge over the Tigers to claim a slender victory on home soil.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
