Preston Noth End vs Sheffield United

Preston Noth End and Sheffield United are set to lock horns at Deepdale in their opening 2024/25 Championship encounter.

Despite flirting with the playoff zone for most of last season, Preston’s dreadful run of five consecutive defeats at the tail-end of 2023/24 condemned them to a dismal 10th-place Championship finish. Long-serving manager Ryan Lowe will hope to make that quantum leap this term after blowing hot and cold across six pre-season friendlies (W3, L3). The Invincibles failed to live up to their nickname in the 2023/23 season finale, losing two consecutive home league games ‘to nil’ following back-to-back wins at this stadium by a three-goal margin. Sheffield United’s visit to Deepdale spells further trouble for Preston, considering they’ve gone winless across their last three league H2Hs on home soil (D1, L2), with both those defeats coming ‘to nil.’

In the meantime, Sheffield United suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, finishing bottom of the table with only 16 points and 104 goals conceded. As one of the worst teams in Premier League history, Chris Wilder’s men can take this season to reset and regain confidence after being battered throughout the 2023/24 campaign. The Blades can use this trip to start recovering their away form after losing five consecutive league games on the road toward the end of last season. United enjoyed decent pre-season preparations, claiming four wins in five summer friendlies (D1) to rebuild their confidence ahead of their second Championship campaign in three years.