Having beaten Preston North End 1-0 in an FA Cup match earlier this season, Alex Neil takes Stoke City to Deepdale with the opportunity to move ahead of Saturday’s hosts in the Championship standings with kickoff at 5 pm.
Preston North End’s 2-1 defeat against Bristol City earlier this week means they will not be able to leapfrog their opponents into the fifth spot in the table.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t positives for them to take from the game. Their performance was encouraging, and they can take heart from conceding only two goals in their six matches before the loss against Bristol. Preston will be keen to bounce back when they host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Preston North End’s surprise success at Norwich City on Saturday was matched by Stoke City’s victory over Sheffield United later that day.
After three matches without a win, the Potters recorded a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United, a result which was desperately required as they began to flirt with the bottom three.
While Neil is still convinced at the bet365 Stadium, the Scot now has nine points from seven matches, while Stoke is within touching distance of catapulting themselves into the top half of the table.
However, the Staffordshire outfit must find some consistency, with consecutive victories in the Championship not being recorded all season.
Preston vs Stoke Head to Head
Both sides have 15 games against each other, with the hosts taking six wins while the visitors with three wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Bristol 2-1 Preston
- Norwich 2-3 Preston
- Preston 1-0 West Brom
- Sunderland 0-0 Preston
Away
- Stoke 3-1 Sheffield United
- Burnley 1-1 Stoke
- Stoke 0-4 Watford
- QPR 0-0 Stoke
Preston North End Team News
After serving a one-match suspension, Jordan Storey will likely return to the Preston XI. Alan Browne could replace Greg Cunningham in the starting lineup, who could play right wing-back, while Robbie Brady may be moved back into a central creative role.
Stoke City Team News
Stoke manager Mark Hughes may restore Liam Delap to the starting lineup after he scored as a substitute against Sheffield United last week. Dwight Gayle could drop down to the bench, and that may prove to be the only alteration should Stoke not be contending with any further injury issues.
Prediction and Odds
Preston’s last two matches have seen them score 11 goals, yet we believe this game will be different. We predict a low-scoring draw, which would not suit either side.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 3.5
