Stoke City play host to Coventry City on Saturday afternoon, looking for a win after their surprise defeat to Rotherham United earlier this week with kickoff at 5 pm.
Stoke City failed to build on a strong start and fell 1-0 to Rotherham United at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night, a result that will only intensify the pressure on manager Alex Neil.
The Scot has now lost three of his first nine matches in charge of the Potters, just as many defeats as he experienced throughout his 24-game reign with Sunderland before switching clubs in August.
As it stands, Stoke are five points behind the top six but will feel like they have missed an opportunity to move themselves back into contention.
For Neil, this is another setback he would have been hoping to avoid, particularly after two wins and a draw from his first three games in charge.
In their efforts to move out of the relegation zone, Coventry have played catch-up due to the number of postponements. However, there are signs that Mark Robins’s side are ready to make quick progress up the table.
Having failed to win any of their opening seven games, Coventry have now recorded 10 points from a possible 15, a run which has included three victories and just one goal conceded.
Stoke vs. Coventry Head to Head
Both sides have six games against each other with hosts taking one win while visitors with three wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Stoke 0-1 Rotherham
- Preston 0-2 Stoke
- Stoke 3-1 Sheffield
- Burnley 1-1 Stoke
Away
- Coventry 1-0 Sheffield
- Cardiff 0-1 Coventry
- Coventry 0-1 Burnley
- Bristol City 0-0 Coventry
Stoke Team News
Given the manner of Tuesday’s defeat, Neil is unlikely to tinker with his starting XI. Jordan Thompson may be in line to start in midfield, while Nick Powell and Jacob Brown could get a chance off the bench after returning from injury.
Coventry Team News
Robins will almost certainly make at least one change to his Coventry side for the visit of Cardiff. Ben Sheaf will serve a one-match ban for five yellow cards, so Gustavo Hamer will return in central midfield and Martyn Waghorn is likely to get the nod over Matt Godden after his late penalty versus Sheffield United.
Prediction and Odds
Both teams have been winning of late, but Stoke are more likely to respond to their disappointment in midweek. We expect them to win this contest with a strong first-half showing.
- Home Win
- Goals Over 2.5
- Both Teams to Score
