Bristol City travel to Deepdale this weekend for a Championship fixture against Preston North End, broadcast live on Sky Sports+. The match marks another test for Michael Skubala's side, who currently sit 12th in the league with four points from three games, following a win, a draw, and a loss.
This meeting continues a long-standing rivalry. The two clubs have faced each other 50 times in league action at Deepdale over the past 125 years. North End hold a historical edge with 23 wins to Bristol City's eight, with 19 matches ending in draws. A total of 140 goals have been scored in those fixtures, with Bristol City netting 52 and conceding 88.
Bristol City's campaign began with a 2-0 defeat at home to Paul Heckingbottom's Preston side back in August, with goals from Alfie Devine and Lewis Dobbin. They bounced back to record their first victory of the season against Portsmouth. Their current league standing of 12th is built on four points, having scored four goals and conceded five for a minus-one goal difference. They are five points behind early leaders Charlton Athletic. Fans can track the team's progress on our standings page.
The Bristol City manager acknowledged the challenge ahead. "It'll be a tough game," Skubala said. "They've had a lot of change over the summer; they changed manager and took some new players from the league below." He added further context, stating, "I'm expecting it to be a tough match. They will be a well-organised team. We're looking forward to it." Skubala was appointed as Bristol City's manager over the summer, overseeing the recruitment of Elijah Adebayo, Dom Ballard, Lorent Tolaj, and Sam Tickle.
This will be the 51st league meeting between the sides at Deepdale. The last encounter there will have seen a potential familiar face for Preston fans, as Sam Greenwood may return after a loan spell with North End in the 2024/25 season. The match official will be Ruebyn Ricardo, who has taken charge of three matches this season and shown 10 yellow cards. Preston will wear their 2026/27 home kit for the fixture.
For those not attending, the game will be shown live on Sky Sports+. Audio commentary is available by purchasing a match pass, and general match coverage will be available across Preston North End's social media channels. This fixture is part of a busy period for Bristol City, who then face an away trip to Burnley on September 5th. Burnley currently sit 22nd in the table. The full schedule is available on our fixtures page. The Robins' squad details, including the new summer signings, can be viewed on our squad section.
