Sunderland arrive at Ashton Gate as a relatively unknown quantity following their eventual return to the Championship after four years in League One.
As Nigel Pearson alluded to in his pre-match press conference he's expecting a difficult contest against a side who will be backed by a passionate away following and as the manager reiterated on Thursday, there's no easy game in the Championship.
Sunderland come into the contest on the back of a scrappy home draw with Coventry with both sides looking to kick-start their seasons by getting their first victories under their belt.
Black Cats manager Alex Neil has been there and done it in the Championship having managed both Preston and Norwich, guiding the latter to the Premier League in the 2014/15 campaign.
He's done his homework on City, highlighting their dangers in his pre-match press conference by saying: "I think they will be well organised. Certainly based on last year I thought in transition they were very dangerous.
“I think 42% of their goals came from transition, so that shows you the threat they will carry. I think they have a good blend now where they have brought some younger players through playing regular football, as well as some experienced lads in and about them. They will be very competitive and it will be tough."
But from a Sunderland perspective, what can we expect from the game? We spoke to Sunderland Echo reporter Phil Smith to give us the lowdown.
Firstly, how has Sunderland's summer been and are they suitably prepared for a Championship return?
It's been broadly encouraging. They've managed to retain the core of the side that finished last season so strongly; getting Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts back permanently was massive.
They've then added Dan Ballard who has looked excellent, and there is excitement around Ellis Simms too.
They haven't spent big, though, and so there is realism that a push for the play-offs or anything like that is pretty unlikely this season.
'Cautiously optimistic' has been Alex Neil's favourite phrase this summer and it sums up the mood pretty well I think.
How will Alex Neil set up for the fixture and what sort of game are you expecting?
Neil tailors his selection for every opponent, which makes it very difficult to guess his selections. He's also always very happy to drop a seemingly key figure if he thinks they're not right for a specific game.
That said, he does like to match up the opposition in terms of system and especially when they play with a front two, he seems to like playing three centre-backs or something very close.
So I think we will see a very similar side to the one that faced Coventry City last Sunday, and probably a fairly similar game.
Where do you think Sunderland can hurt Bristol City?
Alex Neil mentioned how good Bristol City are on the transition and it's much the same with Sunderland. Players like Clarke, Embleton, Pritchard, Roberts and Stewart are all really good ball carriers who can quickly exploit gaps.
Getting Pritchard on a free last summer was inspired business, he was too good for League One and immediately settled in last Sunday.
What key Sunderland players do City need to look out for?
Ross Stewart didn't get off the mark last weekend but Coventry boss Mark Robins called him 'a real handful' afterwards. He's got everything to really kick on, he's mobile, can compete physically and gets into good areas.
I also think Dennis Cirkin, signed from Spurs last summer, has a massive future in the game. He might not stand out being a full back but he barely makes a mistake these days. His consistency in someone so young is remarkable.
How can Bristol City exploit Sunderland's weaknesses?
Sunderland will be well organised as Neil is an excellent coach, but what we saw last weekend was that they tired a little towards the end of each half.
The intensity at this level is a step up because there is so much time wasting in League One, and Sunderland generally dominated the ball.
So I'd say it's more general inexperience, rather than any specific structural issue.
What are Sunderland's expectations this season?
Consolidation is probably the key word. It was a long, arduous journey out of League One and first and foremost everyone just wants to keep away from that relegation zone.
If Sunderland can get into midtable, keep developing their younger players and the playing style, that'll be seen as a success.
Score prediction?
This is very difficult as I haven't seen much Championship football for a good while! I'll go a really entertaining 2-2.
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