My EFL predictions for gameweek 2.
The Championship has its grand return Friday night, with Birmingham hosting Ipswich at St Andrews in a game that promises to be a corker. Two teams that are heavily predicted to be at the sharp end of the table come May, no better way to kick off the most entertaining league in the world in my opinion.
Alongside the Championship opener, League One and Two are back again, ready to suggest where each club really stacks up this season as the first handful of matches pass by.
Here are my EFL predictions for the weekend, only excluding Port Vale v Cardiff where the 0-0 on Thursday night showed that Vale will be a difficult side to beat at home this season, and likely to cause some shocks, whilst Cardiff can’t be complacent this season as each fixture will provide its own unique challenge, and promotion back to the Championship is certainly not a forgone conclusion.
Championship EFL Predictions
Birmingham City 1-1 Ipswich Town
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Watford
Coventry City 3-0 Hull City
Southampton 3-2 Wrexham
Middlesbrough 1-1 Swansea City
Norwich City 1-0 Millwall
Oxford United 0-0 Portsmouth
QPR 2-1 Preston North End
Stoke City 0-2 Derby County
West Brom 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield United 2-0 Bristol City
Leicester City 4-0 Sheffield Wednesday
For many of these EFL predictions I have tipped teams to win based on which sides I believe have strengthened the greatest over the summer transfer window as well as who has managed to maintain the majority of their squad, as I believe that in order to start a new campaign well a team requires stability, momentum that might’ve carried over from last season or been gained as a result of signings and a well-structured pre-season.
I think that the three promoted teams and the three relegated teams will transition into Championship football seamlessly, with the promoted sides suggesting that they’re here to compete, even with Wrexham losing in my predictions I believe that it will be a very close game in which Southampton’s Premier League fitness levels will just edge out the Welsh side.
Derby, QPR and Norwich will also be much improved this season I think, with their individual transfer windows impressing me.
League One EFL Predictions
Peterborough United 1-2 Luton Town
Reading 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Wimbledon 1-1 Lincoln City
Barnsley 3-1 Burton Albion
Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Plymouth Argyle
Exeter City 0-2 Blackpool
Leyton Orient 0-1 Wigan Athletic
Mansfield Town 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
Northampton Town 0-2 Bradford City
Stevenage 1-2 Rotherham United
Wycombe Wanderers 1-3 Stockport County
In my League One EFL predictions, I can see Luton, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Wigan, Bradford, Rotherham and Stockport continuing their respective seasons with another win in game week two.
However I was impressed with Bolton despite their opening day defeat to a strong Stockport side, so I believe that they will defeat a strikerless Plymouth at home. Stockport will also overcome another tricky test I think away at Wycombe, cementing themselves as serious contenders this season.
League Two EFL Predictions
Notts County 2-2 Salford City
Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Shrewsbury Town
Barrow 0-3 MK Dons
Bromley 1-1 Barnet
Cheltenham Town 1-3 Chesterfield
Crawley Town 0-0 Newport County
Crewe Alexandra 3-0 Accrington Stanley
Fleetwood Town 1-2 Bristol Rovers
Gillingham 3-3 Walsall
Harrogate Town 0-1 Grimsby Town
Oldham Athletic 1-1 Colchester United
Swindon Town 2-2 Cambridge United
More draws in my League Two EFL predictions as I think that some of these games are very tricky to call based on what I saw on the opening weekend, throughout pre-season and in the transfer window.
Gillingham v Walsall will be a standout fixture I think, a tasty one as both sides are predicted to be pushing for promotion this season.
Following this, I think Swindon v Cambridge and Notts County v Salford are two very tight affairs that provide enough quality combined for there to be goals in the games, hence a pair of 2-2 draws, four sides that could very well be in the playoff picture by the end of the season so I’d also keep your eyes out for these fixtures.
Finally, I believe that the bookies’ title favourites MK Dons will get their season off and running away at Barrow after a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Oldham last weekend, in which the away side frustrated MK.
