Contents
- Competition: England - Championship
- Date: Saturday, 11th, August 2024
- Kickoff: 16:00 UK / 17.00 CEST
- Venue: Hillsborough (Sheffield)
Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle will lock horns on matchday one of the English Championship at Hillsborough Stadium, both eager to start their season on a high note.
Despite being written off by many as a team destined for relegation to England's third tier, Sheffield Wednesday pulled off a stunning revival at the most critical juncture by grabbing 14 points from the last 18 available, a solid spell that saw them escape the bottom three and secure another year in the Championship. While their preparations for the new season in the second tier haven't been ideal with just one win from four friendlies this summer, the Owls can draw inspiration from holding Bundesliga side Werder Bremen to a 2-2 draw in late July.
Following a similar path to their upcoming opponents, Plymouth had to fight for their place in the league right up until the closing whistle of last season, but they eventually avoided relegation by clinching a slender one-goal win against Hull City on the final day, ending just one point clear of the drop zone. Heading into the new 2024-25 Championship season, the Pilgrims gained solid confidence throughout preseason, securing three victories out of five friendlies, with the last one coming in the final test where they edged out a 4th-division side Milton Keynes Dons by a 1-0 scoreline.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Plymouth Betting Tips: UNDER 2.5
This is truly a tough contest to call between two sides with nearly equal potential, so we believe both teams will approach it cautiously with strong defensive setups to avoid an unpleasant start to the new Championship season and thus, it wouldn't be surprising if a single goal decides the winner in this encounter. A slow-paced game without much action is expected to unfold at Hillsborough Stadium, much like what we’ve seen in three of the last four meetings at this venue, with the two most recent H2Hs seeing the Owls secure narrow 1-0 victories.
Sheffield have developed a reputation for being tough to break down at home largely due to their well-organized defense, which has resulted in seven out of their last ten home games across various competitions ending with a maximum of two goals. Additionally, Plymouth's lack of sharpness in the attacking zone was evident in the final stretch of the last season, as they couldn't hit the back of the net more than once in 12 straight second-division fixtures, and in half of those, they failed to make it onto the scoresheet at all. With both sides struggling to convert chances and their inclination towards a cautious defensive style, it seems likely that a single goal might be enough to decide the winner in what is expected to be a tightly contested and low-scoring encounter.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Plymouth Argyle Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Sheffield Wednesday
1 : 0
Plymouth Argyle
Championship
-
Plymouth Argyle
3 : 0
Sheffield Wednesday
Championship
-
Sheffield Wednesday
1 : 0
Plymouth Argyle
League One
-
Plymouth Argyle
2 : 1
Sheffield Wednesday
League One
-
Sheffield Wednesday
4 : 2
Plymouth Argyle
League One
Sheffield Wednesday team news
Arriving from Watford this summer, goalkeeper Ben Hamer is the only player sidelined for the home team due to an injury, but Brighton loanee James Beadle is ready to step in between the sticks.
Looking to avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles, Sheffield Wednesday made significant moves in the transfer window, bringing in a number of promising players who are expected to feature in the starting XI for the Championship’s opening fixture.
Last matches of Sheffield Wednesday
-
Sheffield Wednesday
0 : 0
Leganes
Club Friendlies 3
-
Werder Bremen
2 : 2
Sheffield Wednesday
Club Friendlies 3
-
Red Bull Salzburg
4 : 0
Sheffield Wednesday
Club Friendlies 3
-
Alfreton Town
0 : 2
Sheffield Wednesday
Club Friendlies 3
-
Sunderland
0 : 2
Sheffield Wednesday
Championship
Sheffield Wednesday lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
James Beadle
Defenders
-
3
Max Lowe
-
6
Dominic Iorfa
-
5
Di'Shon Bernard
-
2
Liam Palmer
Midfielders
-
10
Barry Bannan
-
8
Svante Ingelsson
-
19
Olaf Kobacki
-
11
Josh Windass
-
45
Anthony Musaba
Forwards
-
9
Jamal Lowe
Plymouth team news
One of the biggest summer signings for Plymouth is undoubtedly former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who will aim to lead the club to a more stable and successful campaign than his predecessor.
Summer signing Victor Palsson is expected to form part of the defensive trio for the Pilgrims alongside Lewis Gibson and Brendan Galloway, while Slavia Prague loanee Muhamed Tijani might lead the attack for his temporary club.
Last matches of Plymouth Argyle
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MK Dons
0 : 1
Plymouth Argyle
Club Friendlies 3
-
Bristol Rovers
2 : 1
Plymouth Argyle
Club Friendlies 3
-
Torquay United
0 : 2
Plymouth Argyle
Club Friendlies 3
-
Cheltenham Town
1 : 5
Plymouth Argyle
Club Friendlies 3
-
Plymouth Argyle
2 : 2
Orlando Pirates
Club Friendlies 3
Plymouth Argyle lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Michael Cooper
Defenders
-
22
Brendan Galloway
-
17
Lewis Gibson
-
5
Victor Palsson
Midfielders
-
16
Nathanael Ogbeta
-
20
Adam Randell
-
4
Jordan Houghton
-
2
Bali Mumba
Forwards
-
10
Morgan Whittaker
-
17
Ibrahim Cissoko
-
15
Muhamed Tijani
4 Reasons why we expect Under 2.5
- Sheffield Wednesday's seven of the last ten home games have seen under 2.5 goals.
- Plymouth have not scored more than one goal in 12 consecutive Championship matches.
- Half of Plymouth's last 12 league outings have seen them fail to score.
- Three of the last four meetings at Hillsborough Stadium have featured no more than one goal.
Main prediction Sheffield Wednesday - Plymouth Argyle
Under 2.5 goals
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Additional predictions
Sheffield Wednesday & Plymouth Argyle current standing in Championship
Regular Season | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 - 2 | +2 | 3 |
2 | West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 1 | +2 | 3 |
3 | Oxford United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 3 |
4 | Sunderland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 3 |
5 | Watford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 2 | +1 | 3 |
6 | Middlesbrough | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 - 0 | +1 | 3 |
7 | Stoke City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 - 0 | +1 | 3 |
8 | Sheffield United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 1 |
9 | Portsmouth | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 - 3 | 0 | 1 |
10 | Leeds United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 - 3 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Hull City | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
12 | Bristol City | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
13 | Burnley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
14 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
15 | Plymouth Argyle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | Luton Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 - 0 | 0 | 0 |
17 | Millwall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 - 3 | -1 | 0 |
18 | Swansea City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 1 | -1 | 0 |
19 | Coventry City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 1 | -1 | 0 |
20 | Derby County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 - 4 | -2 | 0 |
21 | Queens Park Rangers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 3 | -2 | 0 |
22 | Cardiff City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |
23 | Preston North End | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |
24 | Norwich City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |