Stoke City make the short trip to Coventry City on Boxing Day knowing that victory could move the club into the Championship playoffs.
After defeat to lowly Sheffield Wednesday, the Sky Blues head into this contest sitting six points clear of the relegation zone.
Match preview
© Reuters
In the three games since Tyrese Campbell's season-ending injury, it has become clear that Stoke have lost their way in the final third of the pitch.
However, five points from matches against Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers have kept the Potters ticking over at an important stage of the season.
Michael O'Neill will be content that Stoke have remained in close proximity to the playoffs as a result of keeping six clean sheets from their last seven league outings.
Nevertheless, there will come a point when the Staffordshire outfit will need to produce something extra in the final third, putting the pressure on Steven Fletcher to rediscover his touch in the final third after injury.
Wednesday's EFL Cup encounter with Tottenham Hotspur was a welcome distraction from league matters, but Stoke will need to regain their focus for the trip to St Andrew's.
Despite seeing their eight-match unbeaten streak come to an end at Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry remain as one of the most improved teams in the second tier.
Aside from easing to a 3-1 victory over Rotherham United, the Sky Blues have not shown a whole lot in the final third, but points on the board is what will matter to Mark Robins.
The Coventry manager will be delighted that the club are approaching the midway point of the season sitting far enough out of trouble to play with a sense of freedom over the Christmas and New Year period.
However, with some of the teams below them showing signs of progress, it is imperative that they keep their points tally ticking over during the triple-header with Stoke, Preston North End and Millwall.
Coventry City Championship form: DWDWDL
Stoke City Championship form: WWLDDW
Stoke City form (all competitions): WLDDWL
Team News
© Reuters
Gustavo Hamer is expected to return to the Coventry midfield after serving a suspension.
Matt Godden is also in line to make an appearance for the Sky Blues, taking the spot of the injured Tyler Walker.
Stoke are likely to be without Morgan Fox after the left-back sustained a hamstring problem against Spurs.
If he passes a fitness test after a calf injury, John Obi Mikel could come in as a replacement for Jordan Cousins.
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; Hyam, McFadzean, Ostigard; Dabo, Sheaf, Hamer, McCallum; O'Hare; Biamou, Godden
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Bursik; Collins, Chester, Souttar, Tymon; Mikel, Thompson; Brown, Powell, McClean; Fletcher
We say: Coventry City 1-1 Stoke City
With both sides struggling in the final third, this game could easily end in a goalless draw. However, it is surely only a matter of time before they get back on track in front of goal, resulting in a more entertaining spectacle than many are currently predicting.
Top betting tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Stoke City win with a probability of 35.1%. A win for Coventry City had a probability of 33.63% and a draw had a probability of 31.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Stoke City win was 0-1 with a probability of 14.03%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (6.96%) and 1-2 (6.71%). The likeliest Coventry City win was 1-0 (13.63%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 0-0 (14.14%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 14.1% likelihood.
