Swans To Send Play-Off Chase To Final Game With Victory Over Robins

Steve Cooper’s Swansea welcomes Bristol City to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, as they hunt desperately for three points to keep them in the play-off reckoning.

It’s advantage to their South Wales rivals Cardiff at the opening of play though; they have a three-point cushion over 8th placed Swans with just two opportunities left to be caught in the top-six. 

A 2-2 draw against 4th placed Nottingham Forest last time out and a 1-0 loss to champions-elect Leeds has seen the foot taken off the gas for Swansea, who will be hoping to bounce back with all three points. 

With an equal goal difference to 6th and the ever-defiant Millwall sandwiched in-between the two sides, there really is no room for error as we approach the long-awaited conclusion of another agonisingly tight Championship season.

A trip to Reading awaits on the final match-day, an afternoon that will, one way or another, decide the fate of the handful of teams still left hanging in the balance.

Dean Holden’s 10th placed Robins have little to play for other than pride now, after a 1-1 draw with Stoke at Ashton Gate saw the gap reach a likely unassailable 5 points. 

The club’s attention will be primarily focussed on finding the next man to permanently manage the South-West giants, with big names Steven Gerrard and Chris Hughton currently leading the bookie's tips. 

The last time the two met in September it ended in a bore-draw, with both teams incredibly failing to score in each of their 12 last fixtures since a 7-1 Bristol City victory in 2005 - BTTS anyone? 

Last season, Lee Johnson’s men managed the double with a 1-0 victory away and a 2-0 margin in BS3, but the crucial points won’t be given up easily by their Welsh counterparts this time around.

Top league goalscorers

Swansea City:

Andre Ayew (15) - Whilst his brother Jordan lives it up in the Premier League for Crystal Palace, left-winger Andre has been hitting the net regularly for Swansea this season. 

The Ghana international most recently bagged in their midweek game against Forest, putting his side ahead in first-half injury-time from the spot - his third goal since the restart.

Bristol City:

Famara Diedhiou (11) - Senegalese striker Diedhiou needs two goals in their last two matches to equal his record of 13 in a Championship season for the third successive season. 

Player to watch

Rhian Brewster:

On loan from Liverpool, 20-year-old striker Brewster stole the headlines when his stunning free-kick rescued a valuable point against Millwall - although it was then chalked down as an O.G. 

However, Brewster has nabbed five of his nine goals this season since the restart, including scoring last time out against Forest and three in his last four.

History dictates that both teams will not score in this fixture and stopping this lad from scoring is no easy accomplishment at the moment. 

Match Preview written by Alfie House