After a shortened off-season due to the fact that the World Cup must be accommodated in November and December, the Championship is back underway and there were several interesting stories to crop up on the opening weekend.
As football fans analyse the Championship betting odds and attempt to make their predictions for the season to come, let’s take a quick rundown of the major happenings on the first weekend of the 2022-23 Championship season.
Winning start for Burnley and Kompany
After six successive seasons in the Premier League, Burnley’s drop down to the Championship has come as a bit of culture shock to the club. However, there is the feeling of a fresh start at Turf Moor, and with Vincent Kompany taking his place in the dugout, a sense that this could be the beginning of an exciting time for the Clarets.
A tricky opening night trip to face Huddersfield Town represented a tough start to the season, but Burnley managed the game brilliantly and came away with a 1-0 win thanks to Ian Maatsen’s first-half strike.
Norwich stutter in south Wales
Another favourite for promotion according to the Championship football tips, Norwich City began their campaign with an away fixture against Cardiff, but things didn’t exactly go according to plan for Dean Smith’s side.
A deflected strike from Romain Sawyers gave Cardiff the lead, and the Canaries just couldn’t recover in what was a disjointed performance. A red card for Grant Hanley after two bookable offences added further to Norwich’s misery. There is work to do if they are to realise their promotion credentials.
Hull City fight back in style
As the first full season gets underway following Hull City’s new takeover, there is a sense of optimism around the MKM Stadium, and the home crowd had plenty to shout about after the Tigers came back from a goal behind to beat Bristol City.
There was an element of fortune surrounding the goals. The first was a dubious penalty decision, which new arrival Ozan Tufan duly stroked home, before Jean Micheal Seri’s ambitious strike was deflected into the back of the net deep into stoppage time. None of that mattered to the delirious home supporters.
Millwall maul Stoke at The Den
Much is expected of Stoke City in this their fifth season in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League. The Potters are yet to really sustain a challenge for promotion in that time, and the new campaign has got off to the worst possible start, with Millwall claiming a 2-0 win over Stoke at The Den.
A brace from Charlie Cresswell did the damage, and Millwall will be hoping to kick on and deliver a strong season for their passionate south London fans.
Watford edge tight tussle
The opening weekend of the Championship season concluded with a Monday night clash between Watford and Sheffield United at Vicarage Road. It was an evenly contested battle, but Watford carved the better chances on the night, and Joao Pedro duly scored the winner midway through the second half.