Championship Preview: Five Key Fixtures From Matchweek 3 in England's Second Tier

15 August 2019 16:17

​The Championship is approaching its third round of fixtures (in mid-August! Seriously!) and the table is very, very marginally starting to take shape. A bit. 

All three of the sides relegated from the Premier League lost their opening matches of the season, while all three of the newly promoted clubs from League One have already picked up points, showing just how tight the league can be.

Here are five of this weekend's biggest fixtures and what they have to offer.

Huddersfield Town vs Fulham

Joe Bryan,Eric Durm

This week's Friday Night Football on Sky Sports pits together the two sides who propped up the bottom of the 2018/19 Premier League table; ​Huddersfield and ​Fulham struggled to adapt to life in the top flight of English football, gaining just 42 points between them.


Life hasn't gotten any easier for Jan Siewert and his side, who followed up a 2-1 loss at home to ​Derby County with a disappointing away draw to Queens Park Rangers and a 1-0 defeat at home (ouch) to Lincoln (ouch) in the Carabao Cup (hmm). The Terriers will be hoping to gain their first win in the Championship since that dramatic playoff final against Reading in 2017, which they won 4-3 on penalties.


As for Scott Parker's Fulham, they also failed at the first time of asking, starting their campaign with a 1-0 loss to newly promoted Barnsley. Goals from star men Tom Cairney and ​Aleksandar Mitrovic did produce a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers last weekend though, and Huddersfield will have to put up a much stronger fight than their rivals from Lancashire.


Prediction: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Fulham

Barnsley vs Charlton Athletic

Lee Bowyer

Barnsley host Charlton in the second fixture of the weekend which will feature two teams who weren't in the ​Championship last season. While the Tykes secured automatic promotion by finishing second in League One, Lee Bowyer's side had to battle past Doncaster and Sunderland in the playoffs to earn their promotion.

Daniel Stendel and his players were brought crashing down to reality by a humbling 2-0 defeat to ​Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday, after an early goal from Luke Thomas gave the Tykes the win over Fulham in their Championship opener.

Meanwhile, the Addicks have had something of a fairytale start on their return to second tier football. Wins against Blackburn and ​Stoke City have left the club in an automatic promotion spot, with Chuks Aneke and Lyle Taylor looking like a real handful. Or two real handfuls, technically. 

Prediction: Barnsley 1-2 Charlton Athletic

Bristol City vs Queens Park Rangers

Daniel Bentley,Matthew Smith

A re-run of Tuesday night's Carabao Cup first round tie will be taking place in the Championship this weekend, ​Queens Park Rangers dumping ​Bristol City out of the cup on penalties in midweek, the London side triumphing from the spot after a scintillating 3-3 draw. 

Lee Johnson will be looking for a strong reaction at Ashton Gate – but the Robins' league campaign hasn't got off to the greatest of starts. Being thumped 3-1 at home by ​Leeds United before stumbling to a 1-1 away draw with ​Birmingham City has left the promotion hopefuls with much to ponder.

QPR meanwhile, are unbeaten so far this season. Results against both Stoke and Huddersfield will give the Rs a lot of confidence heading into the weekend – but they face a City side out for revenge.

Prediction: Bristol City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers 

Luton Town vs West Bromwich Albion

James Collins

It's been a rollercoaster ride for Luton Town fans since they last faced West Brom in the Championship in 2007, going all the way down to non-league and back again. 

Kenilworth Road played host to a stunning first game of the season when the Hatters drew 3-3 with ​Middlesbrough, before trip to Wales saw Luton almost gain another point – only to be thwarted at the last by Cardiff City new boy (and former Luton striker) Isaac Vassell.

The visitors have been tipped as one of the favourites for promotion and although they remain unbeaten, the Baggies will be disappointed with their 1-1 home draw to ​Millwall last weekend. However, with Slaven Bilic at the helm, the side from the Midlands will be tough to beat this season.

Prediction: Luton Town 1-2 West Bromwich Albion

Reading vs Cardiff City

Neil Warnock

The Bluebirds are once again on the hunt for promotion to the ​Premier League in what is Neil Warnock's last season as a manager - although we have heard that line before. They face Reading in Sunday's televised match.

Warnock has been promoted a record eight times in his managerial career, but faces a difficult challenge if he is to make it nine; although the arrivals of Championship veterans Aden Flint and Marlon Pack will help ​Cardiff's cause. However, a defeat on the opening day to ​Wigan Athletic and an unconvincing win over newly promoted Luton was not the start Warnock was looking for.

​Reading have found it tough to bounce back from their devastating playoff final defeat to Huddersfield three seasons ago. Two consecutive 20th placed finishes have summed up their dreadfully under-par campaigns, and things look to be heading the same way again with two losses from two so far this season.

​Prediction: Reading 0-3 Cardiff City

Source: 90min