Swansea City vs Preston North End: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Both Swansea and Preston fell to defeats in their opening games and are looking to get off the mark this weekend. However, we are backing the home side Swansea to edge the game and take all three points.

The Swans are unbeaten in their last three home games against Preston, who have failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous three. Although, Swansea have also struggled at the back, not keeping a clean sheet in four against Preston. They have been quick starters, though, scoring the first goal in this fixture in five of the previous six.

Preston’s vulnerabilities at the back has seen them concede 13 in their last six Championship games, therefore expect Swansea to have too much for them to overcome – Swansea 2-1 Preston

Swansea City host Preston North End in their second game of the Championship season, with both teams looking to respond to opening day defeats.

Date: 17/08/24

Kick-off time: 15:00

Venue: Swansea.com Stadium

An Emmanuel Latte Lath penalty inflicted a narrow 1-0 defeat for Swansea against Middlesbrough last weekend, meaning three points this weekend is crucial for the hosts in order to avoid a terrible start to the season. This is Swansea’s seventh consecutive season in the Championship, with the club appearing not close to a top flight return anytime soon. They have endured three consecutive mid-table finishes and have not placed in the top six since 2021. For manager Luke Williams, this is his second campaign in charge and he will be looking to improve on a 14th place finish from last year.

They are facing a Preston side who will also be looking to recover from a loss, after they were defeated 2-0 by recently relegated Sheffield United last Friday night. Like their opponents, they have also consistently finished in mid-table in recent seasons. However, Preston’s recent run of form dating back to last season could present a bigger concern for caretaker manager Mike Marsh who will oversee this game following the shock departure of Ryan Lowe. To end the last campaign, they went on a five-game losing streak in which they failed to score and conceded 11. Last week’s defeat makes it six and counting, with a trip to Wales on the horizon.

Goals were a struggle for both sides, and Swansea lost their top scorer in Jamal Lowe following the end of his loan spell. Lowe scored 13 goals for the club, whilst Liam Cullen scored seven. That is who started the season up top, in a game where the Swans really struggled to generate any chances. They ended their game against Middlesbrough attempting no shots on target. However, they have an opportunity to take advantage of a vulnerable Preston side who have had great difficulties at both ends of the pitch.

These two sides have met nine times since 2020, with all fixtures taking place in the Championship. There has been nothing to split the pair at all during this time, with four wins apiece and a draw. In the last five meetings, there have not been any draws, and neither side have managed to win twice in a row, highlighting the competitiveness between the two teams. Goals have also been prominent, particularly in the last three, with at least three goals in all of them. Both teams have scored in four of the last six. Swansea were the winners of the most recent game, a 2-1 victory at home last December. This win came in very dramatic fashion as Jamie Paterson scored a 95th minute winner to steal all three points at the death. Liam Millar had earlier equalised after Paterson netted his first to open the scoring.

Swansea City vs Preston North End will not be available to watch on TV in the UK.

Swansea City

Kyle Naughton and Oli Cooper did not feature in the final pre-season game and as a result featured as substitutes last week, and could be set for bench roles once more. Lawrence Vigouroux will expect to start in goal again as the first choice.

Preston North End

Summer signings Stefan Teitur Thordarson and Sam Greenwood both started last weekend and will hope to play prominent roles again this weekend. Fellow new recruit Kaine Kesler-Hayden started on the bench and came on. Last season’s top scorer Will Keane will likely lead the line once more alongside Emil Riis Jakobsen.

Swansea City:

In their last five games, Swansea have won one, drawn one and lost three. It was a very inconsistent pre-season for Swansea, and they continued this form into the first game of the new season, as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat away at Middlesbrough. They failed to produce a single shot on target, and lost to a 25th minute penalty from Emmanuel Latte Lath.

The first game of this run dates back to the final game of last season, in which they lost 1-0 at home to Millwall to end the campaign. Both teams ended the game with 10 men, though the winning goal came from Casper De Norre shortly before. The Swans faced European opposition in each of their three friendly games, first taking on Koln from Germany, though they lost 2-1.

They then faced Macedonian side FK Vardar, and were held to a 1-1 draw at home. Their only win came against Rio Ave from Portugal, as they were victorious 3-0. Goals from Jay Fulton, Kyle Naughton and Matt Grimes helped them to the win to conclude their preparations for the season.

Preston North End:

In their last five games, Preston North End have won three and lost two. It was a solid pre-season for Preston, though they started their Championship season with defeat at home to recently relegated Sheffield United. There was not much to split the sides in shot attempts and possession, but goals in either half from Oliver Luke Arblaster and Gustavo Hamer secured the three points for the visitors.

This followed a run in which they won three of four pre-season games, their only defeat coming in their final friendly against Premier League side Everton. It came after a three-game winning streak which included wins over Salford and Italian Serie A side Fiorentina. The first of this run was a 3-0 win at non-league Bamber Bridge.

Against Fiorentina they were 2-1 winners. Preston took the lead through Liam Lindsay, but were pegged back eight minutes later from a free-kick. However, they restored their advantage and took the win thanks to a winning goal from Will Keane before the break.

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