Prediction Championship - Southampton vs Preston North End

Championship - Southampton vs Preston North End
Match Time: 17-04-2024 03:00 Wednesday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Southampton

Finding themselves with a two-goal lead after 20 minutes following strikes from William Smallbone and Che Adams on Saturday versus Watford, Southampton fans can be forgiven for thinking that a 24th win of the Championship campaign was going to be a breeze for the remainder of the match.

However, the Hornets were able to produce a double sting either side of the half-time whistle to level the scores thanks to Ryan Porteous and Ismael Kone, although the Saints secured a much-needed maximum in added-on time, with Flynn Downes netting his second of the league term.

With Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Leeds United all dropping points over the weekend, Russell Martin's side are beginning to rejoin the picture in terms of automatic promotion, with Southampton currently eight points behind first-placed Tractor Boys having played two games fewer.

Since a run of three-straight defeats across the Championship and the FA Cup rounded off February on a sour note, the Saints have tasted defeat in just one of their last seven second-tier matches, including home wins over Sunderland, Coventry City and Tom Cleverley's Watford.

Despite scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in the Championship for Southampton this season, leading marksman Adam Armstrong was not included in the Championship's Team of the Year, although Kyle Walker-Peters did make the cut following an impressive campaign at full-back.

Preston North End

Preston's chances of achieving a top-six finish are all but over following a narrow 1-0 defeat to playoff rivals Norwich at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon, when the Lilywhites were unable to claim any points from the side who could very well end up in sixth place by the final kick on May 4.

Last Tuesday's 4-1 home success over relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town would have given Preston plenty of confidence heading into the Norwich clash, however David Wagner's East Anglians were a completely different kettle of fish compared to the struggling Terriers, and Gabriel Sara's 86th-minute strike sealed all the points for the Canaries.

Heading into the final four matches of their campaign, Ryan Lowe's side are currently occupying 10th position in the Championship standings, eight points behind sixth-placed Norwich, meaning that a near-flawless run from Preston is now required to place inside the top six.

Although Milutin Osmajic's eight-minute hat-trick versus Huddersfield has stolen all of the limelight, the continued work of striking partner Will Keane cannot be underestimated this season, with the former Wigan Athletic man netting a career-best total of 13 Championship goals.

Prediction: Southampton 3-0 Preston North End