Crystal Palace vs Bristol City

Match details. Crystal Palace host Bristol City in an international friendly at Selhurst Park, London. Kick-off is Sat 3 Oct at 12:30 Lagos time.

What's at stake. It is a friendly, so no points ride on it.

Form. Both sides have identical form over their last ten matches. Crystal Palace have won five, drawn one and lost four, taking 1.6 points a game, with a recent run of D W L W W. Bristol City have also won five, drawn one and lost four, averaging 1.6 points a game, with their last five going W L L W W.

The numbers. At home, Palace score two and concede 1.6 a game over their last seven, with three clean sheets. They average 11.0 shots, 4.1 on target, 2.7 corners and 1.1 cards from 45% of the ball. Bristol City score 1.3 and concede 1.3 over their last ten, with two clean sheets and three games without a goal. They average 14.2 shots, 4.6 on target, 5.2 corners and 1.8 cards from 45% of the ball.

Head to head. In the last six meetings, Crystal Palace have won two, drawn one and lost three. Five of the six went over 2.5 goals and both teams scored in five. Over the last four, Palace won one and Bristol City won three. The last time they met, on 24 Oct 2017, it finished Crystal Palace 1-4 Bristol City.

Where it pulls both ways. Crystal Palace are the form side, but the meetings favour Bristol City. In the last six meetings, Crystal Palace won two, Bristol City won three and one was drawn.

The read. No side to back. An open game. Form and the meetings point different ways, so I back neither side, while their goals for and against point to an open game. Their records put over 2.5 goals at 70%, with five of the last six meetings going over 2.5.

The bets. No bet yet: nothing I'd back is priced yet. Leave: Crystal Palace or Both Teams Score (no result call); Under 4.5 Goals (no unders on an open read); Crystal Palace or Over 1.5 Goals (no result call). Predicted score: Crystal Palace 2-1 Bristol City (9% chance).