Bristol City and Preston North End commence their 2023-24 Championship campaign with a fixture at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon.
Last season, these two teams were separated by just four points, with Preston ending in 12th and their upcoming hosts down in 14th position.
Match preview
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Throughout the majority of last season, inconsistency yet again plagued Bristol City as they were ultimately forced to settle for another position in the mid-table region.
Although the Robins finished 15 points clear of the relegation zone, 10 points behind sixth place was more damning and it is now up to Nigel Pearson to instigate a change in direction.
The saga surrounding Alex Scott threatens to rumble on, depending on whether Bournemouth are ready to meet his £25m valuation, but Bristol City can be delighted with their summer.
Robert Dickie, Rob McCrorie, Haydon Roberts and Jason Knight look like a quartet that have the qualities to strengthen the starting lineup and the depth of this squad.
Furthermore, Bristol City have come through pre-season without losing a game, although it is worth highlighting that they faced no team higher than League One.
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Preston boss Ryan Lowe finds himself in a similar position to his opposite number, with the club requiring somewhat of a refresh to try to reach the next level.
In response to witnessing Preston fail to handle the pressure of having a playoff spot within their grasp in 2022-23, Lowe has conducted some exciting business in the transfer market.
There is excitement over the acquisitions of Liverpool pair Calvin Ramsey and Layton Stewart, while Mads Frokjaer-Jensen has the potential to be one of the coups of the summer.
On the pitch, Preston have under-performed in recent weeks, prevailing in just one of their most recent five friendlies, and Lowe will want to see a response from his side after they failed to score at either Fleetwood Town or Stockport County.
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Team News
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Although Bristol City defeated Portsmouth in their final friendly, seven substitutions were made at the break, leaving it plausible that several alterations will be made for this contest.
Matty James and Andreas Weimann are most likely to come into the team, potentially replacing Andy King and Knight, but Roberts may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Mark Sykes is likely competing with Harry Cornick and Sam Bell for the two spots on the flank.
With Bambo Diaby having signed for Sheffield Wednesday, Patrick Bauer should come back into the Preston back three for this game.
Lowe must decide whether to start Greg Cunningham or Kian Best at left wing-back, but the rest of the team could stay the same unless Ryan Ledson or Duane Holmes are selected in midfield.
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Scott, James, Weimann; Cornick, Wells, Bell
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Bauer, Hughes; Potts, McCann, Browne, Frokjaer-Jensen, Cunningham; Woodburn, Keane
We say: Bristol City 1-1 Preston North End
Both managers will be happy with their summer business thus far, the feeling being that they are stronger than last season. With that in mind, we are going to sit on the fence and opt for a draw, but we would not be surprised if Bristol City edge this contest in the latter stages.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
