Match Day Thread Coventry City v Bristol City

MansionBet Match Preview: Coventry City (A)
Sunday, April 4th 2021

A bumper weekend of football continues on Easter Monday as City make another trip to St Andrew’s Stadium to take on Coventry City.

City are unbeaten on the road in their last four away games (W3, D1) and therefore have confidence to take from their form away from Ashton Gate.

But Good Friday ended up being a disappointing afternoon in BS3 where the Robins endured a 2-0 defeat - their seventh successive loss at home.

Highlights: Bristol City 0-2 Stoke City
But as clichés go, the next game comes quickly and that's the beauty of the Championship. Easter Monday's match sees a second trip to St Andrew's in recent weeks, as Coventry share the ground with Birmingham City until the Sky Blues' return to the Ricoh Arena next season.

These two teams met at the start of the season, where captain Tomas Kalas scored a late winning header to secure an opening day victory. It formed part of a winning start to the season though those victories have been harder to come by in recent times.

As for Coventry, Mark Robins' side are currently fighting to stay in the division. They've managed nine wins this season since that opening day loss at Ashton Gate, the majority of those have been by a one-goal margin.

It could be a close encounter with their battle to survive relegation too, as Rotherham United with their three games in hand - threatening to put pressure on Birmingham City and the Sky Blues just above them.

MATCH DETAILS
Where: St Andrew's
When: Monday, April 5th, 3pm KO
Competition: Sky Bet Championship

Referee: Leigh Doughty
Assistants: Rob Smith and Craig Taylor
Fourth official: Geoff Eltringham

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DOWN MEMORY LANE
Bristol City 2-1 Coventry City
Ashton Gate
Saturday, September 12th 2020
Sky Bet Championship

Tomas Kalas provided a captain’s contribution with the winning goal against Coventry City on the opening day of the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship season.

The centre-back, announced as the Robins’ new club captain an hour before kick-off, headed home from a late corner to seal the points at Ashton Gate.

Jamie Paterson had scored just 20 seconds into the campaign with a close-range finish, though the Sky Blues battled back through Matt Godden.

Newly-promoted Coventry proved a handful, particularly in the first half but Dan Bentley kept Dean Holden’s men in the contest, before Kalas nodded in the winner less than 10 minutes from the end.

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HEAD TO HEAD*
Bristol City v Coventry City
Played: 66
City won: 23 (33%)
Drew: 22
City lost: 22

Bristol City goals: 46
Coventry goals: 34

Bristol City top goalscorer: Famara Diédhiou (10)
Coventry top goalscorer: Tyler Walker (6)

Bristol City most assists: Antoine Semenyo (7)
Coventry most assists: Callum O'Hare (5)

Bristol City clean sheets: 11
Coventry clean sheets: 12

League positions
Bristol City: 14th (49 points)
Coventry: 21st (39 points)
https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/mansionbet-match-preview-coventry-city-a/

 

Bristol City predicted XI (4-3-3): Bentley; Simpson, Mariappa, Kalas, Sessegnon; Vyner, Nagy, Massengo; Wells, Diedhiou, Semenyo

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Bristol City's predicted team against Coventry City with Famara Diedhiou and Adam Nagy to return
The dispiriting display against Stoke City on Good Friday is likely to have made Nigel Pearson's mind up for him ahead of today's Championship clash at St Andrew's
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-predicted-team-coventry-5263998

 

Podcast show ratings against Stoke~
A Podcast Bonus show ratings but sadly this was again numbers at the wrong end of the scale: Bentley 6, Hunt 4, Kalas 5, Mariappa 5, Rowe 4, Massengo 7, Lansbury 4, Palmer 6, Semenyo 7 MotM, Wells 4, Bell N/A, Bakinson 5.

Manager rating ~
On to Nige, and it has to be a 4.

What a sad display, hope for better today.

 

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Goal for Coventry City, Østigård. #COVBRC
1-0

 

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Half-time player ratings
Bentley - 6

Simpson - 6

Mariappa - 5

Kalas - 6

Sessegnon - 4

Massengo - 5

Vyner - 6

Nagy - 4

Semenyo - 7

Wells - 6

Diedhiou - 5

 

Thoughts on the first half
From our City reporter....

A slow start and a failure to deal with Coventry's awkward formation, high-line and set-pieces has cost the Robins here. They've come back into this slowly through their wide play but too many long balls and too easily squandering possession means the home side could push high, press from the front and get the early brerakthrough. Can City create a real opening after the break? We're honestly not confident. Bright play from Vyner and Semenyo so far. But few others.

 

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