Bristol City vs Walsall - prediction, team news, lineups

Bristol City volition statesman their 2026-27 run erstwhile they invited Walsall to Ashton Gate successful the archetypal circular of the EFL Cup connected Thursday evening.

The Robins present led by Michael Skubala, caput into their archetypal competitory fixture aft an encouraging pre-season successful which they mislaid conscionable doubly successful 7 friendlies and recorded an impressive 4-1 triumph implicit Premier League broadside Newcastle United, portion the Saddlers endured a much hard build-up aft failing to triumph immoderate of their 4 friendlies and ending with a goalless gully against Notts County.

Match preview

After a turbulent extremity to the 2025-26 campaign, Bristol City statesman the caller play nether caller enactment pursuing the departure of Gerhard Struber and the little instrumentality of Roy Hodgson, who arrived astatine Ashton Gate aft 44 years distant to oversee the last 7 Championship fixtures.

The erstwhile Liverpool and England brag yet guided the Robins to different 12th-place finish, though they ended the play 11 points adrift of the apical six aft starting the calendar twelvemonth successful contention for promotion, with Skubala present taking complaint aft guiding Lincoln City to a record-breaking promotion campaign.

The caller Bristol City brag led the Imps to the Championship aft collecting 103 points with 31 wins, 10 draws and conscionable 5 defeats, portion conceding lone 41 goals successful 46 league matches, a antiaircraft grounds that volition entreaty to the Robins aft they struggled to support cleanable sheets consistently past season.

Skubala has besides been backed with 7 summertime arrivals, including League One's fourth-highest scorer from past play Lorent Tolaj, erstwhile Leeds United guardant Sam Greenwood and goalkeeper Sam Tickle, who recorded 13 cleanable sheets for Wigan Athletic contempt their hard campaign.

The Robins person besides enjoyed an encouraging pre-season up of Skubala's archetypal competitory fixture, losing conscionable doubly successful 7 friendlies earlier ending their preparations with an awesome 4-1 triumph implicit Premier League broadside Newcastle United.

Walsall, meanwhile, besides participate the caller run with a caller antheral successful the dugout aft Matt Sadler's departure, with Darren Byfield overseeing the last stages of past play earlier erstwhile Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley goalkeeper Lee Grant was appointed arsenic caput coach.

The Saddlers endured a melodramatic illness during the 2nd fractional of the 2025-26 campaign, falling from the League Two automatic promotion places into the bottommost fractional of the array aft struggling to support their early-season momentum.

For the 2nd consecutive season, Walsall sat apical of League Two connected Christmas Day but failed to prolong a propulsion for promotion, collecting conscionable 22 points aft the crook of the twelvemonth and enduring an eight-game winless tally astatine home.

Despite the disappointing finish, determination remains a beardown instauration for Grant to physique on, with Walsall showing during the archetypal fractional of the run that they are susceptible of competing adjacent the apical of the division.

However, their pre-season preparations person been acold from ideal, with the Saddlers failing to triumph immoderate of their 4 friendlies against Leamington, Aston Villa, Telford and Notts County.

History besides favours the hosts heading into this fixture, with Bristol City unbeaten successful their 5 erstwhile meetings against Walsall, winning 4 and drafting one.

The past brushwood betwixt the 2 sides came much than a decennary ago, erstwhile the Robins recorded an emphatic 8-2 triumph astatine Ashton Gate successful what was besides the past clip Bristol City competed extracurricular the apical 2 tiers of English football.

Bristol City pre-season form: 

D W L W D D 

Walsall signifier pre-season form:

D L L D 

Team News

Bristol City look towards the 2026-27 run hoping for a amended clip of it successful presumption of injuries, aft enduring 1 of the worst wounded crisis' successful the English Football League past season. 

The Robins person astir a afloat acceptable squad available, though Skubala is expected to marque changes with the Championship play opening conscionable 9 days later.

Irish defender Luke McNally remains unavailable aft a lengthy spell connected the sidelines, portion Tickle is expected to go the club's first-choice goalkeeper this play but could marque mode for Brad Collins to start.

As for Walsall could manus competitory debuts to respective summertime arrivals arsenic Grant looks to marque an contiguous interaction astatine Ashton Gate. 

James Connolly and Andy Dallas are among those pushing for their archetypal appearances successful Saddlers colours, portion Albert Adomah is expected to diagnostic heavy erstwhile again aft making 50 appearances during his 19th nonrecreational season.

Evan Weir and Charlie Lakin volition not beryllium involved, having departed the nine for Peterborough United and Barnet respectively.

Bristol City imaginable starting lineup:

Collins; Tanner, Dickie, Eile, Pring; Randell, Bird; Twine, Greenwood, Horvat; Riis

Walsall imaginable starting lineup:

Ward; Browne, Skura, Leak, Hancock; Pattison, Maher, Sprangler; Adomah, Pressley, Dallas

We say: Bristol City 3-1 Walsall

Bristol City caput into their archetypal competitory fixture arsenic wide favourites and, adjacent with Skubala apt to rotate his broadside up of the Championship opener, their attacking prime and encouraging pre-season signifier should spot them progress.

Walsall person shown they tin vie with the champion sides successful League Two, but their hard summertime docket combined with Bristol City's superior prime should beryllium the quality astatine Ashton Gate.

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