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Vital Preview – Championship, 26th-27th Dec 2016

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The 2016-17 season continues with the latest round of games this Christmas. This will see us among those involved with three points of course the aim.

Previous results

Friday 16th December 2016 – Sky Bet Championship
Norwich City 1-2 Huddersfield Town 19:45

Saturday 17th December 2016 – Sky Bet Championship
Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Reading 15:00
Bristol City 1-2 Preston North End 15:00
Burton Albion 1-2 Newcastle United 15:00
Cardiff City 3-4 Barnsley 15:00
Fulham 2-2 Derby County 15:00
Leeds United 1-0 Brentford 15:00
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Rotherham United 15:00
Wigan Athletic 2-3 Ipswich Town 15:00
Birmingham City 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion 17:30

Sunday 18th December 2016 – Sky Bet Championship
Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Aston Villa 12:00

What will happen in this one though? Cast your vote so we know if you think it’ll be all smiles or disappointment come the full time whistle.

Fixtures

Monday 26th December 2016 – Sky Bet Championship
Brentford v Cardiff City 13:00
Aston Villa v Burton Albion 15:00
Barnsley v Blackburn Rovers 15:00
Huddersfield Town v Nottingham Forest 15:00
Ipswich Town v Fulham 15:00
Preston North End v Leeds United 15:00
Reading v Norwich City 15:00
Rotherham United v Wigan Athletic 15:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bristol City 15:00
Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday 19:45

Tuesday 27th December 2016 – Sky Bet Championship
Brighton & Hove Albion v Queens Park Rangers 12:30
Derby County v Birmingham City 15:00

Despite the fact it’ll be the final game played on Boxing Day – as Brighton aren’t in action until the Tuesday – Newcastle know they’ll have a chance to extend their lead over their 2nd placed rivals when they host Sheffield Wednesday. However, the visiting Owls travel to St James’ Park very much in the hunt for a play-off place and will be keen to leave with the points.

The games will actually begin on Boxing Day with Brentford hosting Cardiff in a 1pm kick off. The Bees have only won twice in their last seven – twice in their last three to be fair – but will hope for some Griffin Park cheer against a Bluebirds side three points above the bottom three in 20th.

Aston Villa will look to make inroads into the six points that separate them from the top six when they welcome struggling Burton – a place and two points from the drop zone – to Villa Park.

The side directly below Burton is Blackburn. Owen Coyle will take his Rovers side to Oakwell to face Barnsley looking for a win that could take them out of the bottom three. The 12th placed Tykes have won two of their last three though.

Huddersfield’s four game unbeaten run – including three successive wins – will see them at the John Smith’s Stadium looking to defend their 4th place position, potentially improve on it. Nottingham Forest have lost two of their last three so they’ll be looking to stop that rot.

A first win in four will see Ipswich return to Portman Road with a little confidence. The Tractors Boys come up against a Fulham side that’s lost just once in the last eight though and currently sit just four points from a play-off position.

Preston aren’t much further back as they go into the festive period in 11th. North End will look to make inroads into the five points between them and the top six when they welcome 5th placed Leeds to Deepdale – Gary Monks side have won four of their last five.

The form at the Madejski Stadium this season has been brilliant from Reading. The Royals will want to continue this – and consolidate 3rd place – when Norwich visit. The Canaries have won just twice in their last 10 games, including seven defeats!

If Rotherham are to have any chance of turning around their fortunes and staying up in 2017 then one their final games this year is a must win against fellow strugglers Wigan. The Millers are rock bottom and some 12 points from safety. The Latics are a place above them but eight points clear – four from safety – and have lost four in a row.

Having won at Nottingham Forest in their last game Wolves will seek the rarity – and for a first time under Paul Lambert – of back-to-back wins when they welcome Bristol City to Molineux. The visiting Robins’ form is worse than Wolves as they’ve lost six of their last seven.

Tuesday will see Brighton have the chance to react to whatever Newcastle do on Boxing Day night. If the Magpies win Albion will seek to reduce the lead to a point again – anything other and the Seagulls would know a win at QPR would put them top. A sixth straight defeat could potentially send the R’s into the bottom three.

A seven game winning run was ended in Derby’s last outing. However, they still drew so the Rams are unbeaten in eight ahead of the game when they host promotion rivals Birmingham to round off the opening festive fixtures.

It goes without saying the expectation; most definitely the hope at least, will be for a positive result. But will this happen? We’ll find out soon enough.

Ahead of the game we’re looking for your views on what way you think it will go, which requires you to vote in the latest poll in one of the options you have been given.

However, don’t just look also have a say. We don’t just want your vote, which you can do to the right, we also want some thoughts and views ahead of the game as well so share these below.

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