Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Championship clash between Stoke City and Bristol City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Both looking to end their respective campaigns on a positive note, Stoke City and Bristol City will clash at the bet365 Stadium on the final day of the Championship season on Saturday afternoon.
The Potters secured an eye-catching maximum at Premier League-chasing Southampton last time out, whilst the Robins eased past whipping boys Rotherham United.
Match preview
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Striving to conclude their rollercoaster of a campaign on a strong footing, Stoke have recorded back-to-back victories in the Championship over the past fortnight, securing a three-goal success over relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle on April 20 before beating Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium seven days later.
Three points on the South Coast sealed the Potters’ second-tier status for another season following worries near the end of 2023 that the club could be drawn into an unlikely relegation battle, with marksman Tyrese Campbell netting the only goal of the game in the 36th minute.
Since taking the reins at the Staffordshire outfit in December – replacing the dismissed Alex Neil – Steven Schumacher has faced difficulties at times but a current run of just one defeat in the last seven has included signs that suggest the Liverpudlian could lead the club to success next term.
That being said, the Potters must collect maximum points on Saturday afternoon if they are to avoid their worst finish in the Championship since returning to this level following Premier League relegation in 2018, with this weekend’s hosts currently languishing in 18th position.
Stoke have been heavily reliant on a number of loan players to provide sprinkles of quality to the bet365 Stadium side, including Wolverhampton Wanderers duo Luke Cundle and Ki-Jana Hoever, with both potentially playing their final matches for the Potters on the weekend.
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With a host of the sides in the race for promotion slipping up recently, Bristol City are one of the in-form teams in the Championship after extending their unbeaten spell to seven matches with a comfortable two-goal victory over League One-bound Rotherham last weekend.
The Millers had failed to record a win in any of their previous 22 second-tier outings since the beginning of the term, so it was no surprise to see the Robins race into a commanding lead at Ashton Gate before the hour courtesy of strikes from Tommy Conway and Burnley loanee Scott Twine.
After collecting 15 points from their last seven Championship contests, Liam Manning‘s men have secured a first top-half finish in the division since the 2019-20 term, with Saturday’s visitors occupying 11th position, five points ahead of Luke Williams‘s Swansea City in 13th.
Having provided four goal contributions in as many matches recently, Bristol City academy graduate Conway has now hit the double-digit mark for goals in a Championship campaign for the first time in his blossoming career, although the 21-year-old might be departing in the summer when his contract expires.
The Robins have a stellar recent record at the bet365 Stadium,currently in the midst of a five-game winning run at Stoke’s Staffordshire home, although the Potters managed to win the reverse fixture earlier this season thanks to a late Nathan Lowe winner in the West Country.
Stoke City Championship form:
Bristol City Championship form:
Team News
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Stoke are set to be without the services of striker Niall Ennis, who suffered a nasty clash of knees at Southampton last weekend and has not recovered in time.
Better news for the Potters arrives in the form of Lynden Gooch, with the former Sunderland man back in contention after training with the group all week following a muscle issue.
Supporters of Stoke have seen the last of Ben Pearson and Sead Haksabanovic this term, with the pair struggling through muscle and groin injuries respectively.
After being a key force in the engine room this season, Bristol City’s Matty James will miss the final fixture of the term as he undergoes surgery on a hernia.
The Robins will also be unable to call upon the talents of Cameron Pring, meaning that Haydon Roberts is likely to move upfield into a wing-back role.
That alteration would leave Rob Dickie and George Tanner needing a fresh centre-back partner, with Zak Vyner being the obvious candidate should he recover from a knee issue in time.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Hoever, Wilmot, McNally, Stevens; Laurent, Thompson, Manhoef, Cundle, Bae; Campbell
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie; McCrorie, Knight, Williams, Roberts; Mehmeti, Twine, Conway
We say: Stoke City 2-2 Bristol City
With both teams having their Championship statuses confirmed for next season, we could see a free-flowing contest at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.
Stoke and Bristol City are both enjoying a fruitful run of form, and we reckon that the pair will play out an entertaining four-goal thriller to draw the curtain on their campaigns.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.