Bristol City currently occupy the final play-off spot in the Championship. But after missing out on it last season, what lessons must they learn?

Lee Johnson would’ve been thrilled that his side headed into the international break in sixth. His side are unbeaten in the league since their opening day defeat to Leeds, having picked 20 points from a possible 30 since.

For a second successive season they're looking like contenders for a play-off spot. Last season they looked so certain for one but saw their form tail off towards May, and they finished four points adrift of Derby in 6th.

Here we take a look at three lessons that Lee Johnson and Bristol must learn from last season:

Ashton Gate needs to be more of a fortress

Bristol lost seven home games last season, drawing eight and winning eight. That home record is no way near the level of a potential Premier League team's, and that’s the first thing that Johnson would’ve tried to instil in the summer.

But the story has been the same again this year - the Robins have taken eight points from five home games. They were dealt a tough string of home fixtures though, and Johnson won’t be too unsettled by Bristol’s home record just yet.

Ashton Gate will certainly have to be more threatening to away opposition in the coming months if Bristol are to remain 6th at the end of the season.

Need to be better against the top six

If Bristol want to mingle with the top six then they have to perform better against them. Last season, Bristol won just three games against top-six opposition, drawing as many and losing six.

Johnson will recognise that his side needs to compete in order to achieve, but in three games against the current top six of the Championship this season, Bristol have drawn two and lost the other.

Ghost of Championship past for Bristol so far, whose next top-six fixture is against Nottingham Forest in November - Johnson needs to get his team to play with more authority against better foes and show the confidence that they do so often in this league.

More goals are needed

Bristol only recorded 59 goals in the Championship last season - that's 34 off of what title-winners Norwich managed.

If Bristol are to continue to progress in terms of their league finishes, they need to keep upping the amount of goals in the team. Last season they relied heavily on Famara Diedhiou and Andreas Weimann, the pair got 22 goals in the Championship between them, but neither was an out-and-out goalscorer.

So far this season the pair have managed six goals between them and now without Benik Afobe for the rest of the season, could see a lack of goals force them out of contention.

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