CHAMPIONSHIP: MATCH 35 PREVIEW

Match Previews

2nd March

After a narrow defeat at the hands of Wolves on the weekend, Cardiff City will be looking to get back to winning ways as they face Rotherham United. The Millers had been four without a win but ended the winless run with a crucial 2-1 triumph against Millwall. That victory moved them six points above Millwall who lie in the final relegation place. United have been in good form at the New York Stadium with just one defeat in their last six at home. There have been a total of 23 goals in those six matches with the hosts scoring 13 and conceding 10, meaning there could be plenty of opportunities come Tuesday night. As for City, they picked up an away win at Wigan on their last away outing and will be aiming to repeat that as they once again travel up north. It is the Bluebirds first trip to Rotherham since a 2-2 draw in 2004 and if they come away from Yorkshire with points it will extend their unbeaten run over United to six games.

Tight at the top

The Championship showed why it is one of the toughest leagues in football on the weekend with only two of the top seven recording wins.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ win at Cardiff has now closed the gap to just three points between them in eighth and the playoff places and they face one of the teams just three points ahead on Tuesday evening, AFC Bournemouth. After going fourteen with no defeat earlier in the season the Cherries have hit a blip in form. Eddie Howe’s men are searching for their first win in six as they look to rise back to the summit after falling to fifth spot. One thing in the south coast sides favour is their superior goal difference of 30, 23 better than Wanderers and the second best in the division behind league leaders Derby County. Bournemouth have only failed to score four times in 34 games and average just under two goals a game with 67 from those 34. The visit of Wolves will be a challenge to that record as they have three consecutive clean sheets and 15 for the season, the most in the Championship.

Derby County match that record of 15 blemish free games and lead the way at the top of the table. This Tuesday they face a long trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, the team they defeated in the playoff semi finals last season. Albion have not reached the heights of the last campaign and occupy 20^th spot in the standings a full 28 points behind their opponents but it may prove a tricky trip for the Rams. A total of 29 Seagulls games have been settled by either one goal or ended all square with Chris Hughton’s men only losing by more than one goal on two occasions. Derby are beatable on the road and have lost five times including twice against bottom half teams.

In form

The Championship seems to have a top eight vying for the top six places in the league but there is arguably one team with a chance of entering the fray, that team is Nottingham Forest. With Dougie Freedman at the helm Forest have gone six unbeaten, winning five, and have propelled themselves to ninth in the table. They are still 10 points adrift of the play offs but if their current form continues that gap could soon close. The Tricky Trees travel to Charlton Athletic who are eight points behind in 12^th. Charlton have won three of their last four and all three wins have ended 3-0. At the beginning of the season both Athletic and Forest went 11 unbeaten before deterioration in form saw both slip from the summit to mid table mediocrity. If Forest can repeat that lengthy sequence maybe they can close in on the top six.

However, there is one team who pip Forest to the top of the form tables and that honour goes to Norwich City. The Canaries, after their 2-0 East Anglia derby win over Ipswich on Sunday, have now won six in a row and eight of the last 10, lifting them to third in the table just three points off top. City will be confident of extending their winning form as they welcome Wigan Athletic to Carrow Road. The Latics did win on Saturday against bottom placed Blackpool but still find themselves nine from safety in 23^rd position. Wigan have won their last two away from home, taking their tally to four away wins for the season, but a third win will be a tough ask as Norwich have the best home form in the league. They have won five of the last six in front of their home supporters and have only lost once to bottom half opposition in Norfolk all season.

Full Fixture List

Unless Stated 7:45pm

Tuesday 3 March

Bournemouth v Wolves

Brentford v Huddersfield

Brighton v Derby

Charlton v Nottingham Forest

Middlesbrough v Millwall

Rotherham v Cardiff

Watford v Fulham

Bolton v Reading (8:00pm)

Wednesday 4 March