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The Sheffield derby: Match guide for Hillsborough meeting between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United
It's a huge game to round off the footballing weekend as Sheffield Wednesday host fierce rivals Sheffield United on Monday night.
The Sheffield derby, often referred to as the Steel City derby, is one that will be watched up and down the country. Both sides will be desperate for the points, and for the fans, they'll be eager to grab the bragging rights for work the next day.
For United, a victory here will see them retain their place in the automatic promotion spots while Wednesday can continue to close the gap on the play-offs. This has the feel of one of the biggest Sheffield derbies in a while.
A Wednesday win will not only help their own cause but will dent United's promotion aspirations while a victory for Chris Wilder's men, which would be their second in succession at Hillsborough, would provide both a mathematical and psychological boost,
The Owls have recently appointed Steve Bruce, a former Sheffield United manager and player who gets what this game is all about - and that may give them a boost they could have been without under Carlos Carvalhal and Jos Luhukay's guidance.
Back at the beginning of January, this looked like a game that would be a fairly straightforward away victory. However, with a positive-looking Sheffield Wednesday outfit, led by a man with plenty of experience in this league, it now appears to be a contest that could go either way.
Sporting Life's Sky Bet EFL man Tom Carnduff builds-up to Monday's massive clash.
Recent meetings
Little has separated these two sides in recent meetings, although United did hit four on their last visit to Hillsborough.
John Fleck and Leon Clarke had fired the visitors into a 2-0 lead after just 15 minutes and it looked like it was going to be a huge win for the red side of Sheffield.
Gary Hooper and Lucas Joao put things level in the second-half but Wednesday celebrations were short-lived as Mark Duffy scored just two minutes later. A second Clarke goal on 77 minutes wrapped up the result.
We've seen two 0-0 draws since then, both representing opportunities missed by the Blades, but the appointment of Bruce gives Wednesday an excellent chance to end their frustrating stretch.
Form goes out the window
Oh no, it's a cliche! It's the view of Owls manager Bruce though, who won't be looking at the league table heading into this one.
"All that is out of the window, it’s on the night, on the occasion," Bruce told the media, "who handles it best, who handles the situation better and who doesn’t make the mistake.
"Will it be won by a flash of genius or a mistake? All of those things come into effect. Let’s look forward to it.
"I always say, the whole of the country will be watching the game on Monday, let’s make it a spectacle. Yes, there is always going to be huge rivalry but just keep it at a huge rivalry."
While both managers want to make this a great game for the neutral, Bruce is clear that his main focus is on the outcome.
"It’s all about one thing – getting a result," Bruce added, "getting the win for your supporters so they go to work in the morning in a better frame of mind.
"It means a lot to the supporters, of course it does. We know what it means."
But while Bruce says form counts for nothing, the form book says otherwise.
Derby provides 'extra edge'
Wednesday captain Tom Lees understands the size of the occasion and has said that the game gives the city an 'extra edge' in the build up to the contest.
Lees has only faced United twice in his career and is still waiting for that first victory, although Wednesday's recent form does mean that they are in a position to potentially secure all three points on Monday.
Speaking to swfc.co.uk, Lees said "it’s obviously a big occasion, it’s intense, the build-up is intense, and you know there is an extra edge to the whole week building up to it.
"It’s a really big game for both sides, Sheffield United are wanting to stay up at the top of the table but even if they weren’t, it would still be a huge game.
"We have come into a bit of form and like I’ve mentioned before, we’ve all got points to prove so there is a lot to play for, for both sides."
His side come into it on the back of two home wins, and the central defender is eager to continue that run against their main rivals.
"Everybody has got a point to prove," he stated, "I think that is showing and if you get on a run then you never know what might happen.
"When you look at the results we achieved in our last two, they are not to be sniffed at. Brentford were right up there in the form table and came into the game on the back of putting five past Hull.
"Swansea are a very good side as well and this is another fixture where it’s a chance to see where you are and how far you have come in a short space of time."
Premier League needs Sheffield
That's the view of Steve Bruce. The Wednesday boss told the Sheffield Star that a city like Sheffield needs both Wednesday and United in England's top-flight.
"It’s a huge city which, like the north east, it needs the two clubs in the Premier League," Bruce said. "The clubs would embrace the Premier League, because it has a big hard core support.
"But as both clubs have seen, it’s not easy. There are some big clubs in the Championship, but it is what we all have to aim for, that’s why I am sat here."
Unfortunately for Bruce, it appears as if United are more likely to return to the Premier League before Wednesday - something that was unthinkable just three years ago.
The Owls had two play-off campaigns under Carlos Carvalhal, the first of which saw them lose in the final to Hull (led by Bruce), before Huddersfield won on penalties at Hillsborough to prevent another trip to Wembley the season after.
These two both tick the 'big club' box which is often talked about throughout the Sky Bet EFL. Living in the city for four years highlighted just how passionate people are about their teams - you are either blue or red.
It's also true that many Premier League fans would like to see the Sheffield clubs back in the elite division. That's alongside the likes of Leeds and Nottingham Forest.
You have to go back to early days of the top-flight re-brand for the last time these two met in a Premier League encounter. Three of their four games ended in draws, although Wednesday did win that final meeting at Hillsborough in January 1994.
Who knows, with the way the table is shaping up, Bruce's wish may come true in the near future.
Respect between managers
They may be managing fierce rivals, but Bruce admitted he has a lot of respect for his opposite counterpart.
The now-Wednesday boss began his managerial career at Bramall Lane in 1998. In his squad, he had Wilder - a defender - who made 12 appearances during his second stint at the club.
Discussing Wilder, Bruce said in his pre-match press conference "I had him as a player a long, long time ago at Sheffield United. When you have had somebody as a player, you watch them.
"I don’t think I was there long enough to get to know him. But certainly over the last few years, he has been outstanding in his work. He’s very good.
"You have to take your hat off to Chris and what he has done. From getting them out of League One, to where they finished last year, playing in a certain way in a certain style.
"You have to be complimentary about them. I have huge respect for Chris, but it’s our job, my job, to try and beat them.
"They have been very good over the last couple of years, and a lot of that’s down to the management. Look at what Chris has achieved, with lower clubs he has been at, he has done very well. He is a very capable manager and a good person too."
Bruce 'gets it'
The same respect can be found towards Bruce from Wilder, with the Blades boss saying that Wednesday finally have a manager who understands what the Sheffield derby is all about.
"It's a fantastic occasion," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield, "I know there's been a couple of different opinions from the opposition managers over the last couple of years.
"I think Carlos (Carvalhal) said it's just a game, which I didn't get, and the other guy (Jos Luhukay) said he's played in bigger, which I didn't get even more.
"But Steve's hit the nail on the head, being the man that he is. Being brought up in the north east, and being involved in that. Being involved in Manchester derbies. Being involved in a so-called derby, a Liverpool and Manchester United derby.
"So he gets it, I get it, our supporters get it, their supporters get it, the players get it and it's great to be involved in."
It takes two to tango
Wilder also understands that having an opposition manager who gets what the game is all about adds to the occasion.
This Steel City derby will be the first where Bruce has been a manager. In the 1998/99 season, United were in Division One while Wednesday were battling it out in the Premiership.
However, Wilder knows that the Owls have a manager who will be relishing the opportunity to be in the dugout.
"Definitely (on Bruce having an impact on the event), I mean it can't affect what the attitude, in terms of what talk in the media, is of opposition managers and the attitude of the games," Wilder explained to BBC Radio Sheffield. "I do, I've got to say, understand it in a way, but both sets of supporters want their team to go hell for leather in that game.
"We won't change our attitude into the game. We were a little bit disappointed in the two games at home because we hadn't done enough but we won't change our attitude to just get out of their alive and get something from the game.
"I think Sheffield Wednesday fans will honestly believe that. They want to see their team attack and they will definitely see their team attack against us. We'll get pushed back and we'll try and push back the opposition and that's what the game is all about.
"I think that sometimes you have to have two people to dance, somebody said that along the way, and I think certainly on Monday night there will be both teams who are going out for a win for both causes."
Tickets, please!
It won't surprise you to see that there has been a huge demand for tickets, especially in the away end.
United are on the verge of a return to the Premier League and a victory over their rivals, in their own back yard, may put them three points clear of the play-off places.
The Blades were originally allocated just over 2,000 tickets for Monday night. There were then a further 700 released and an additional 1,000 tickets added to their total in the week prior to the game.
That means that Wilder's men will now be backed by double the original number of fans. Hillsborough will be bouncing with the Owls faithful really buying into Bruce's leadership at the club.
It's set to be an electric atmosphere under the lights.
What are the odds?
Despite the upturn in form for the hosts, Sky Bet make Sheffield United the 21/20 favourites to wrap up all three points.
The draw can be found at 12/5, while a Wednesday win is the biggest price of the three match outcomes at 13/5.
Billy Sharp is the likeliest to score, according to the layers, with 7/5 available on a goal anytime in the 90 minutes for the Blades forward.
For the hosts, Lucas Joao and Steven Fletcher provide the main attacking threat and both can each be found at 12/5 for a goal, while Fernando Forestieri is 13/5 anytime or 13/2 to score first.
Goals are certainly expected with both teams to score available at no bigger than 8/11. The same can be said for three or more goals, that's available at 10/11.
Even money is on offer for United to score two or more goals, while the same selection for Wednesday is 21/10. For those who are backing a repeat of last season's results, four or more Sheffield United goals can be found at 12/1.
Odds correct at 1600 GMT (01/03/19)