Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Bristol City sit ninth in the table, while Stoke City are down in 18th, but recent form suggests the gap may not be as significant as it seems. Both teams have won just once in their last five matches, but Stoke City claimed their victory in the most recent round, giving them a slight boost in confidence.
Bristol City
Bristol City suffered a frustrating home defeat to Swansea City (0:1) in their last match at Ashton Gate. They created enough chances to score at least once (1.04 xG), but their finishing let them down—only three of their 19 shots were on target, all of which went straight to the goalkeeper. This was their first home loss in 15 matches, with their previous defeat at Ashton Gate coming on 23 November against Burnley (0:1). Low-scoring games have been a trend for Bristol City—under 2.5 goals has landed in 10 of their last 16 matches, including in both of their recent home defeats.
Stoke City
Stoke’s most recent match was a rare away victory, as they edged Hull City (2:1). However, that was an exception rather than the rule. Stoke City have won just three of their 15 away matches this season and had gone seven games without a victory prior to beating Hull. Their struggles have largely been due to a lack of goals—they either fail to score or manage just one in most games. Stoke’s away fixtures average just two goals per game (10:20).
Bristol City vs Stoke City Prediction
There’s little reason to expect a deviation from the usual trends. Bristol City should avoid defeat, Stoke are unlikely to win, and goals will likely be at a premium.
