Before the next international break brings the European football leagues to a halt, another round of high-profile fixtures awaits in the EFL Championship, where every game carries significant stakes.
The EFL Championship table is incredibly congested, with just five points separating the top eight teams, while 11th-placed QPR are only two points behind eighth-placed West Ham.
Even teams like Wrexham, Portsmouth and Stoke have a genuine chance of securing promotion to the Premier League, a financially lucrative achievement that represents the ultimate goal for any Championship club.
So, let’s take a look at some selected fixtures, assess how the teams are shaping up ahead of their next matches, and examine their chances of coming away with a win.
Portsmouth vs Stoke City – Saturday, November 7, 12:30
The clash between in-form Portsmouth and Stoke City promises to be a crucial encounter at Fratton Park on Saturday.
Stoke City currently sit fourth in the table, while Portsmouth head into this game in 10th place, just one point behind eighth-placed West Ham, who occupy the final play-off position.
Form guide
Portsmouth are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Having gone through administration twice, in 2010 and 2012, the club are now back among the sides competing for promotion to the Premier League.
The expanded six-team play-off format, coming into effect from the 2026/27 season, will give teams finishing between third and eighth a shot at the final promotion spot.
Pompey could benefit from the change, with a win this weekend potentially lifting them into the top eight from their current 10th position.
John Mousinho’s side will certainly fancy their chances given their current form, having gone unbeaten in their last six matches.
During that run, Portsmouth have recorded four wins, scoring 10 goals and conceding just five, while keeping one clean sheet.
Stoke City are also among the teams eyeing a return to the Premier League, but the Potters have their sights set even higher.
Sitting fourth with 26 points, just two behind table-toppers Middlesbrough, Mark Robins’ side can realistically target an automatic promotion spot.
On current form, Stoke can match any team in the Championship. They have not only won three of their last four matches but have also kept three clean sheets during that run.
Team news
Portsmouth are among the worst-affected teams in the league when it comes to injuries, with as many as eight players set to miss this game, while three others remain doubtful.
Among those carrying fitness concerns are Iyad Mohamed and Marko Milovanovic, both of whom will be assessed ahead of the match to determine their availability.
With so many players sidelined, Thomas Waddingham and Marlon Pack could come into contention for a place in the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Jacob Farrell, Connor Ogilvie, Keshi Anderson, John Swift, Mark Kosznovszky, Franco Umeh-Chibueze, Luke Brooke-Smith and Benjamin Arthur are all nursing injuries and will miss the game.
Ethan Galbraith is available for selection for Stoke City after serving his one-match suspension. The midfielder is expected to return straight to the starting XI.
Bosun Lawal and George Hirst are also pushing for a place in Stoke City’s starting line-up.
Meanwhile, Eric Bocat, Lamine Cisse and Sam Gallagher remain sidelined with injuries and will miss the game.
Match odds
Portsmouth are priced at 138/100 to win, with Stoke City given odds of 12/5. A draw is available at 23/10.
Suggested bet
Both teams to score, Stoke City to win 2-1.
Wrexham vs Wolves – Saturday, November 7, 12:30
Wolves will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to six games when they travel to North Wales to face Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday.
However, the Dragons will also fancy their chances of securing a positive result at home, having claimed an impressive 2-0 win over league leaders Middlesbrough in midweek.
They now welcome another side with ambitions of securing a top-two finish.
Form guide
Wrexham pulled off the unthinkable during their midweek clash against current league leaders Middlesbrough.
Having lost their previous two matches against Blackburn Rovers (2-0) and Sheffield United (1-0) without scoring, Phil Parkinson’s side went into the game as clear underdogs.
However, the Reds produced a remarkable display of counter-attacking football.
George Thomason opened the scoring in the 70th minute before Oliver Rathbone sealed a stunning 2-0 win with an 84th-minute strike.
It was a massive result for both the club and manager Phil Parkinson, who had been under growing pressure with his side closer to the relegation zone than the top half of the table.
The win has lifted Wrexham to within six points of eighth-placed West Ham. Another positive result this weekend could provide a major boost to their hopes of securing a top-eight finish.
Wolves continue to impress and remain among the leading contenders for a top-two finish this season.
They secured another impressive result in midweek, beating Bristol City 2-1 away from home, with substitute Sean Neave scoring twice late in the game.
That win, coupled with Middlesbrough’s defeat, lifted Wolves into second place, just one point off the top spot.
In fact, César Peixoto’s side could move to the summit with a win against Wrexham, although potentially only for a few hours, as Middlesbrough face Watford later in the day.
Team news
Wrexham’s 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough came at a huge cost, with striker Sam Smith suffering an ACL injury that will rule him out for the remainder of the season.
The 28-year-old joins Josh Windass and Nathan Broadhead on the sidelines, while Callum O’Hare remains a doubt for the home side and will be assessed ahead of the match.
For Wolves, Jordan James is another notable absentee, with the midfielder set to spend the next few weeks on the sidelines.
The 22-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s 3-0 win over Cardiff City and also missed the 2-1 victory over Bristol City in midweek.
Mexican striker Raul Jimenez remains a long-term absentee for Wolves, with his return not expected until January 2027.
The former Atletico Madrid forward suffered a ligament injury in a Carabao Cup match against Everton.
Boubacar Traore and Ghislain Konan also remain sidelined, while Sean Neave could be in contention for a starting spot after coming off the bench to score twice against Bristol City.
Match odds
Wrexham are priced at 12/5 to secure a win, while Wolves have odds of 122/100. A draw is available at 5/2.
Suggested bets
Both teams to score; Wolves to win 3-1.
Bristol City vs Norwich City – Saturday, November 7, 12:30
Under pressure, Bristol City will have their task cut out when they face an in-form Norwich City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
Bristol have been free-falling down the table after suffering their third defeat in their last five games, while the Canaries are among the most in-form teams in the league and arrive in Bristol on the back of a stunning 4-0 win over Derby County in midweek.
Form guide
The Robins finished last season in mid-table with 62 points, 11 points adrift of sixth place.
However, following an impressive summer transfer window and the appointment of former Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala, Bristol City appeared determined to mount a serious push for a top-six finish.
After opening the season with a 2-0 home defeat against Millwall and a 2-2 away draw at Birmingham, Bristol City bounced back impressively, collecting nine points from their next three matches with victories over Portsmouth, Preston and Burnley.
However, reality soon caught up with the Robins, as they managed just two wins in their next nine matches, including only one victory in their last six games.
As a result, Bristol City have slipped down to 15th in the table, with just five wins from 14 matches, leaving them a considerable seven points behind sixth-placed West Brom.
The Canaries, on the other hand, have been performing much better than their current league position suggests.
Although they have the same number of points as Bristol City, their recent upturn in form has put them in a much better position to close the gap on the top six.
Before this current three-game winning run, Philippe Clement’s side had managed just three wins from their opening 11 matches.
Norwich will also take confidence from their stunning 4-0 victory over Derby County in midweek, which highlighted their attacking firepower while also delivering their first clean sheet in the league this season.
Team news
Skubala is likely to make some changes to his starting XI for the match against Norwich.
One player who could be dropped to the bench is Brad Collins, who has been error-prone in recent games. Sam Tickle is in contention to start should Collins be dropped.
Lorent Tolaj is expected to return to the team after the international break. The 25-year-old forward has not played since suffering a hip injury during the 0-0 draw against Stoke City last month.
Dom Ballard and Yu Hirakawa are both pushing for a starting spot.
Defender Rob Dickie is back in training and is ahead of schedule in his recovery. However, this game has come too soon for the 30-year-old, who has been nursing a knee injury since September.
With Norwich in terrific form, Clement has every reason to stick with the same starting XI he named against Derby.
However, Jovon Makama could be rewarded with a starting spot following his stunning display off the bench against the Rams, during which he found the back of the net.
Oscar Schwartau was also available for selection once again after recovering fully from a minor nerve issue. He came off the bench in the 70th minute against the Rams and is likely to feature as a substitute once again.
Mohamed Toure and Ali Ahmed remain unavailable due to injury, while Kenny McLean and Pelle Mattsson are both racing against time to be fit for this game.
Match odds
Bristol City are priced at 7/4 to win, while Norwich City are at 154/100. A draw is available at 5/2.
Suggested bets
Both teams to score; Norwich City to win 3-1.
