Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Sheffield United missed out on two points in the last round but have now gone four games without conceding. Swansea City have learned to avoid defeat for at least three consecutive matches. Whose positive streak will continue?
Sheffield United
Was one point against Portsmouth a loss? Given the chances the team created (12 shots (4 on target), but only 0.55 xG), it seems more like a fair result. Sheffield United didn’t do enough to score, but they also didn’t deserve to lose, as Portsmouth created little danger themselves. Can Sheffield United defeat the Welsh side? Possibly, but their previous two home wins were narrow 1:0 victories over Derby County and Watford.
Swansea City
In every away match, more than 1.5 xGA and at least 18 shots were created against Swansea City. Consequently, they conceded just one goal to each opponent, while the hosts missed out on 3.91 goals over three games. These numbers are respectable, but how do they fare in terms of finishing? Poorly. Swansea City players managed to score against the hosts only in their third match against Coventry City, winning 2:1 with just 0.73 xG used. Their approach is economical.
Sheffield United vs Swansea City Prediction
Considering the home side’s inability to break down Swansea City's defence more than once and their own low goal-scoring rate away from home, we believe we will see a match with no more than two goals. The Welsh side are quite capable of taking points from Sheffield United, but we are not entirely confident in that, so we will stick with the first option.
