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Preview: Hull City vs. Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 10 August 2023, 21:24
Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday will both go in search of their first points of the Championship season on Saturday, when they square off at the MKM Stadium in the second round of league games this term.

The hosts fell just short away at Norwich City in their curtain-raiser, while the visiting side were beaten by Southampton last Friday, with both sides having then experienced differing fortunes in the EFL Cup in midweek.

Match preview

Following Liam Rosenior's appointment as manager in November last year, Hull City would eventually finish the 2022-23 Championship season in 15th place with 58 points from their 46 matches, and they set their sights on continuing their improvement in their first full campaign under their boss.

The Tigers were tasked with a trip to Norwich City on the opening day, and in a tough test, they made a positive start as Liam Delap capitalised on a defensive error to put the Tigers ahead inside the opening 20 minutes at Carrow Road.

They would go into the interval level, though, as Jon Rowe levelled the scores on the stroke of half time, before Rosenior's men were denied a share of the spoils in agonising fashion, as Aam Idah tapped home a winner for the hosts in the 96th minute, with the Tigers boss sent off for his protests in the aftermath.

Following that opening-day disappointment, Hull would welcome Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Rovers to the MKM Stadium on Tuesday in the first round of the EFL Cup, their second competitive outing of the term, and again go ahead early as Oscar Estupinan opened the scoring in the third minute, but they would eventually drop out of the competition following a more concerning defeat as George Miller netted a brace for the fourth-tier visitors, with the decisive goal coming on the hour mark.

Now with confidence bound to have taken a hit in the camp following their first two fixtures, the Tigers will look to build some positive momentum and put their first Championship points on the board at the second time of asking on Saturday.

Their visitors are also seeking their first points of the term after a tough opening-day fixture of their own, with Sheffield Wednesday having returned to the Championship this year after winning promotion through the League One playoffs under the management of Darren Moore last time around.

The South Yorkshire outfit would not head into the new term under the promotion-winning boss though, as Moore would depart after their dramatic Wembley triumph over Barnsley, courtesy of Josh Windass's 123rd-minute goal, with the Owls turning to Xisco Munoz to step into the hot seat.

After a difficult pre-season, the Owls would begin life back in England's second tier at home to newly-relegated Southampton, and after withstanding heavy pressure throughout, they looked in a good position to take a share of the spoils as Lee Gregory equalised in the 54th minute after the visitors went ahead through a Nathan Tella shot which deflected in off Adam Armstrong.

That was not to be, though, as Che Adams restored the Saints' lead three minutes from time, although Munoz's men do now head into the weekend on the back of an EFL cup triumph in midweek, as Tyreeq Bakinson kept their home tie against Stockport County alive and forced a 1-1 draw with a 97th-minute leveller after Paddy Madden's first-half opener.

Sheffield Wednesday would prevail in that shootout, as Lee Gregory converted the decisive spot kick, and they will now travel to the MKM Stadium with the aim of scoring their first league victory of the campaign and under their new boss.

Hull City Championship form:

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