Undoubtedly, this will be one for the documentary as Wrexham's return to the second tier looks set to generate headlines, but can they get anything from a strong Southampton team?

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📂 Southampton v Wrexham Cheat Sheet

📈 Southampton v Wrexham Form & Tactics

This is Will Still's first EFL match, so we don't know a great deal about his approach, but he looks set to line Southampton up in a 4-3-3 formation.

From his time as a head coach in France, we can surmise that he extols the virtues of an effective pressing game. It won't be a kamikaze press; very few clubs employ that style these days, but positional play (all players working collectively to cut down on time and space for the opponent) forms a big part of Still's philosophy.

Team selection is going to be tough for Still with such riches to choose from, but a midfield three of Shea Charles, Flynn Downes, and Mateus Fernandes looks to have a blend of everything and looks really strong for the level.

Phil Parkinson has been in charge all the way through Wrexham's rise up the leagues, so it will be interesting to see how much consistency he employs in their style of play.

Many people may have continued to assume that the free-wheeling, free-scoring Wrexham from their National League days will be what they will see in the Championship.

However, Parkinson has recognised the need to become more pragmatic as the standard of their opponents have improved. Wrexham have become a big, strong side whose first aim is to compete and win the physical battle. In League One, they were very well organised in a 3-5-2 formation, which allowed them to keep the highest number of clean sheets in the league.

Conor Coady's signing may have been criticised by some areas, but he looks like the ideal player to play in the middle of the back three, whilst their abundance of forwards should help in rotation.

🏁 Ref Watch

James Bell

• Bell has 51 matches under his belt at this level, so he is fairly experienced at this stage

• Bell has averaged 3.84 yellow cards per match in the Championship, just above average for the competition

• Bell also has an unusually low number of fouls given in the league, an average of 20.5 per match

📊 Southampton v Wrexham Key Stats

• Relegated teams from the Premier League playing at home on opening day in League One have won four, drawn two, and lost two over the last five seasons

• Russell Martin was Southampton manager the last time they played in the Championship, and the Saints were dominant in possession, playing an average of 670 passes per match 

• This is Wrexham's first-ever EFL Championship season; their last second-tier appearance was in 1982

• Liberato Cacace was the first non-domestic transfer that Wrexham have done since their return from the National League 

• If Wrexham start with Josh Windass and Kieffer Moore as forwards, then they will be fielding a strike force with 18 Championship goals between them last season

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