The opening weekend of the Championship season will include a battle for Midlands supremacy as Stoke City and Coventry City clash at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Potters are looking to kick on following countless seasons of midtable mediocrity, whilst the Sky Blues are striving to reach the Premier League after false horizons in recent years.
Match preview
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Since suffering relegation to the Championship from the Premier League alongside Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion in 2018, Stoke City have endured six straight bottom-half finishes in the second tier, giving supporters at the bet365 Stadium little to get truly excited about.
Staring a relegation dogfight in the face at the beginning of last campaign under the leadership of Alex Neil, the Potters made a managerial change in December and appointed Steven Schumacher, with the former Plymouth Argyle boss guiding the Staffordshire-based club to safety, finishing six points ahead of 21st-placed Birmingham City.
Stoke struggled to pose a consistent attacking threat to their opponents last season, as highlighted by Portuguese winger Andre Vidigal winning his side's Golden Boot race with just six Championship strikes, with Schumacher's troops requiring serious improvements in order to challenge at the top of the division this time around.
The Potters have started to address that goalscoring issue during the first part of the summer transfer window, with second-tier stalwart Sam Gallagher joining from Blackburn Rovers, who are expecting a season of considerable struggle as their unfavourable ownership situation rumbles on.
After pitting their wits against EFL counterparts Crewe Alexandra, Bolton Wanderers and Stockport County earlier in pre-season, Stoke rounded off their packed summer schedule by facing Dutch powerhouses AZ Alkmaar on August 3, when a strike from Troy Parrott sealed a narrow success for the Eredivisie visitors.
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Missing out on a long-awaited return to the Premier League after a penalty-shootout loss to Luton Town during the playoff final in 2023, Coventry City were unable to reach the same heights during the 2023-24 term, finishing three places and nine points behind Norwich City in sixth.
A midtable finish did not mean a quiet campaign for the Sky Blues, who enjoyed a marvellous run in the FA Cup to reach the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium, where the Midlands outfit were denied a historic victory over Erik ten Hag's Manchester United by a highly-controversial VAR decision.
Disregarding the glamour aspect of a fairytale run in the competition, the FA Cup run impacted the ability of Coventry's small cohort of players to also compete for a top-six finish, with the majority of this summer's transfer business aimed at improving the Sky Blues' squad depth.
That strategy can be seen in Coventry's most recent acquisition, with striker Brandon Thomas-Asante joining from Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion, despite Haji Wright and Ellis Simms already being within the attacking ranks at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Into his eighth season as Sky Blues boss, Mark Robins is by a considerable distance the longest-serving manager in the second tier ahead of the start of the 2024-25 campaign, with the 54-year-old set to take charge of his 400th game at Coventry during the course of the term.
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Team News
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One of the most highly-rated goalkeepers in the Championship over recent years, Viktor Johansson will be in between the sticks for Stoke this weekend following a summer switch from Rotherham United.
The Potters have also significantly bolstered their defensive ranks over the off-season, with veteran Ben Gibson joining after his departure from Norwich City.
Stoke cast a scouting net across Europe this summer and managed to secure the services of left-back Eric Junior Bocat, who has spent the last two seasons at St Truiden in the Belgian Pro League.
There is set to be a real battle for first-choice status in goal at Coventry, with Ben Wilson, Bradley Collins and new arrival Oliver Dovin all eyeing up that role.
Following the departure of cult hero Callum O'Hare to Sheffield United, summer signing Jack Rudoni is set to provide the creativity from midfield for the Sky Blues in Staffordshire on Saturday.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Tchamadeu, Wilmot, Gibson, Bocat; Thompson, Laurent, Burger; Manhoef, Gooch, Gallagher
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Dovin; Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Binks, Bidwell; Torp, Allen, Rudoni; Sakamoto, Palmer, Simms
We say: Stoke City 1-2 Coventry City
Stoke have enjoyed a productive pre-season and now face a challenging assignment against a Coventry side who are a well-oiled machine under the leadership of Robins.
The Sky Blues are used to the big occasions and will cherish an opening weekend trip across the Midlands, one which we believe will end in victory for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
