EFL expert makes worrying Wrexham prediction for 2025/26 ahead of upcoming clash at Southampton

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Southampton host Wrexham this weekend as the two clubs kick off their 2025/26 Championship seasons.

Southampton and Wrexham are heading into Saturday’s 12:30 pm clash on the opening weekend after polar opposite seasons.

The Saints suffered relegation from the Premier League back down to the Championship last season before Will Still was appointed by the south coast outfit earlier this summer.

Wrexham made history with successive promotions last season under Phil Parkinson, and the Red Dragons’ ambitious Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be desperate to continue that trajectory to the top flight.

Ahead of the two sides meeting at St Mary’s, one EFL expert has made a surprising prediction about Wrexham that will be music to the ears of Still and Southampton.

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EFL expert predicts Wrexham to struggle in 2025/26 Championship

The Southampton vs Wrexham head-to-head record makes the opening weekend clash impossible to predict given that the two clubs have not faced each other in 46 years.

Southampton and Wrexham have played each other only seven times, between 1958 and 1979, with the Saints winning four and Wrexham winning three.

In our Championship score predictions for game week 1, we at EFL Analysis believe that Southampton will beat Wrexham 2-0 on Saturday.

After an EFL expert gave his prediction for Wrexham this season, it’s surely hard to disagree. Ali Maxwell told the Not The Top 20 Podcast: “I’d be really fascinated to see what Phil Parkinson’s standard starting XI is going to be, and very interested to see whether his tactics will change at all.

“In League One, they had some of the best players in every position on the pitch, and they played a fairly long-ball style that worked incredibly well.

“Yes, the recruitment is eye-catching, but I would say there’s probably still only about half a dozen players in this squad that I think are clearly Championship quality right now.

“And mostly they’re the ones that I just told you they’ve signed. Most of the existing squad, I think, are pushing League One quality at best.

“Much of them are pretty experienced and they’re unlikely to perform terribly, but I don’t think the level of this squad is particularly strong on paper for Championship standards.

“Phil Parkinson, no one’s ever done what he’s done. Three straight promotions, an absolutely sensational job.

“He has an objectively poor record as a manager in the Championship. He’s won 26 of 141 championship matches, 0.82 points per game, minus 115 goal difference. He’s got a lot to prove at this level. So I think they’re really hard to place, Wrexham personally.”

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Wrexham have had a better transfer window than Southampton

Wrexham have been one of the biggest winners in the summer transfer window of any Championship side.

In attack, Josh Windass has joined Wrexham from Sheffield Wednesday and Kieffer Moore has left Sheffield United for the Red Dragons.

• Southampton vs Wrexham – St Mary’s – 12:30 pm – Saturday, August 9

At Southampton, the Saints have lost several high-profile players, namely with number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale joining Newcastle United on loan.

Still is braced for further exits before the window slams shut, with Everton in talks for Tyler Dibling and Atletico Madrid tracking Mateus Fernandes.

The transfer business for both sides could play a pivotal part in the result on Saturday, with the clash available to watch on Sky Sports Football.