The final EFL Championship match before Christmas promises to be a classic as 5th meets 6th in the table. Both Aston Villa and Sheffield United have had terrific starts to their respective seasons and with the halfway point of the season looming, both teams will be desperate to kick on towards securing their play-off place and potentially sneaking an automatic promotion spot.
EFL Championship – Aston Villa vs Sheffield United – Villa Park, Saturday 23rd December 2017, Kick-off: 17.30 GMT
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Betfair |
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Aston Villa
Sheffield UnitedAston Villa
Steve Bruce has engineered a strong squad at Villa Park and the Villains have only lost twice in their last 10 Championship matches. They currently sit in 5th place in the table with 37 points from their opening 22 games – although they are 14 points behind runaway leaders Wolves. Albert Adomah has been the primary goal threat for the Midlanders and his goal return of 11 has been very impressive this season.
Sheffield United
The Blades have carried on their impressive form from last season and are sitting pretty in 6th place – hanging on to the last play-off place by one point from rivals Leeds. They too have 37 points from 22 games but are in the midst of a run of 5 games without a win – a concern for Chris Wilder’s men. Leon Clarke has turned back the clock this season and his 14 goals have played a huge part in United’s strong start to the campaign.
Head to Head
Aston Villa boss the head to head record between the sides with a 62:38 lead in the historical fixtures with another 30 games ending as draws. This is the first league meeting between the teams since 2007 – a game which Villa won 3-0 as Sheffield United slipped towards relegation from the Premier League.
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United – Odds and Predictions
Both sides are strong going forward and will look to play on the front foot.
Both teams to score – YES – looks a superb bet at 4/5 with Uni Bet.
Albert Adomah has pace to burn and should cause many problems for the Sheffield United defence.
Albert Adomah to score anytime is great value at 6/4 with 888 Paddy Power.
This could be a fiery encounter with two teams battling for promotion.
A red card in the match is a real possibility at 7/2 with Coral.
This could be a very even game between two very closely matched sides.
The match to end as a draw looks a top bet at 12/5 with Betfair.
Score Prediction
Aston Villa 1 – 1 Sheffield United – 6/1 with Bet Victor.
Top Betting Tip: Aston Villa vs Sheffield United
Both sides are pushing for promotion and Villa will fancy their chances with home support but Sheffield United are a plucky outfit and have their own rot to stop. The match to end as a draw and both teams to score is a great bet at 4/1 with Ladbrokes.