Eight matches of the 33rd round of English Championship are scheduled for Tuesday evening and the most interesting is one between 3rd-placed Aston Villa and 7th-placed Preston, which currently has nine points fewer. The guests had six-game unbeaten streak before this match of two wins and four draws, while the Villans lost to Fulham away in previous round. Let’s add that their match played last autumn in Preston had ended as Aston Villa victory of 2-0.
Right because of that Aston Villa fans expect three new points from match with Preston at home, where their team has eight-game unbeaten streak of even six wins and two draws. Aston Villa lost only to Peterborough in the FA Cup, and we should add that the Villans had seven-game winning streak before previous round which propelled them to the second place in the table. It then lost away to Fulham 2-0, and now is again third but has just two points fewer than Cardiff.
Besides, fourth-placed Derby has just one point fewer than Aston Villa at the moment, and because of that manager Bruce players have imperative to win this match with very tough Preston. Regarding the team, we believe that Elmohamady will return at position of left back, while his place in the midfield should take young Onomah. Due to injuries still out of action are goalkeeper Steer, stopper Samaba, and forwards Kodjia and Agbonolahor, while not fully ready midfielders Adomah and Grealish are questionable for this match.
Probable lineups Aston Villa: Johnstone – Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Hutton – Jedinak – Snodgrass, Hourihane, Onomah, Bjarnason – Hogan
Unlike the Villans whose excellent seven-game winning streak was interrupted in previous round with defeat by Fulham, Preston has before this duel in Birmingham six-game unbeaten streak of two wins and four draws. In the same period Preston lost only in the FA Cup to Sheffield United. At the moment Preston occupies very good seventh place in the Championship and has just three points fewer than sixth-placed Bristol City.
It is hard to expect that this team can reach the promotion play-off by the end of season, especially as after they sold their best scorer Hugilli in the winter transfer window and at the same time failed to bring adequate replacement, so left winger Robinson is forced to play striker for some time now. Let’s add that due to injuries this match will skip stopper Clarke, midfilder Gallagher and forward Magurie, while midfielder Welsh cannot play due to accumulated yellow cards.
Probable lineups Preston: Rudd – Fisher, Huntington, Davies, Cunningham – Pearson, Browne – Barkhuizen, Johnson, Bodin – Robinson
Regardless that Preston didn’t lose in last six rounds we have decided to given advantage in this match to the home team, Aston Villa, given their great desire to make it up to their fans for defeat by Fulham suffered in previous round.
Pick: Aston Villa wins
2.06 - 106/100 @1XBet