
The Championship is back and on Sunday afternoon Leicester City will start their re-build
against Sheffield Wednesday. The Foxes are expected to fight for an automatic spot come May,
while the visitors will likely spend the following nine months fighting to stay in the league. A
dominant home win is expected at the King Power stadium.
Leicester still haven’t had their point deduction sanctioned, but all the Foxes can do is start off strongly. Their squad remains incredibly strong for this level. Stephy Mavididi, Bilel El Khannouss and Abdul Fatawu - to name a few - look as though they have the potential to take this league by storm.
Point deduction to one side, this is one of the strongest teams in the Championship this season,
and having won five of their six pre-season friendlies - including a 2-0 win over Fiorentina - Marti Cifuentes has inherited a squad but also seemingly getting the best out of them.
Last season, Sheffield Wednesday conceded 69 goals - only three teams let in more. This time
round it could be even worse. With players and staff being paid late, many have left, and there
were even talks of this match being boycotted at one stage.
Preparation for the new season couldn’t have been worse. Their latest friendly against Burnley
just one week before was cancelled - with growing concerns the club didn’t have a team to field.
With the club desperately short of cash - and with their head coach Danny Rohl no longer at the
club - the Owls look destined to finish bottom of the Championship come May. Having played just one friendly all summer, Sheffield Wednesday couldn’t be less prepared for this match.
These two sides haven’t met since February 2024 where Leicester ran out 2-0 winners thanks
to goals from Issahaku Fatawu and Jamie Vardy. And while the latter has since left the game,
Fatawu scored in their win over Fiorentina - and he’ll be keen to add to his tally having scored
six in the Premier League last year. You have to go back to 2013 the last time Sheffield Wednesday beat Leicester - and it’ll take a miracle to produce a similar result on Sunday.
The hosts are a very skinny price to pick up the three points in round one against a side with all
kinds of problems off the pitch. It should be an easy win for Leicester City.
Betfred
are offering 1/6 for a Leicester win or 20/1 for Sheffield Wednesday to cause an upset. But what about the other betting markets? Let’s dive in.
If it wasn’t for Leicester’s inevitable point deduction, they would certainly be challenging Ipswich Town for the title come May. This is a squad that has talent all over the pitch - capable of playing at a much higher level - and one that has strength in depth.
It couldn’t be more of a contrast for Sheffield Wednesday. The team announced their decision to
play - that will be backed by a sold out away end - but with a paper-thin squad available, the
Owls don't have the ability to take anything from this match. At the moment, it’s all about staying afloat and hopefully getting the club sold to a new owner.
And so the Foxes can swoop in and pick up the three points - but in style. It could hardly be a
more difficult tie for the visitors - facing a near Premier League side in their own back yard - and the goals will likely flow from the first whistle.
Betfred are offering 5/2 on over 3.5 match goals - and with Leicester hoping to make a statement and start to eat away at their potential point deduction, they can take advantage of Sheffield Wednesday’s unfortunate position. Good luck to those that follow.
For those looking to enjoy a free bet for the Championship’s opener, you must check out
Dabble’s £10 offer. New customers can download their app, create an account and once signed
up, you will be rewarded with a completely free £10 bet.
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