[monks data]

Championship | Gameweek 9

Oct 31, 2020 at 3pm UK

Bet365 Stadium

Stoke
1 - 0
Rotherham

McClean (27')
Fox (90+2')

FT(HT: 1-0)

MacDonald (41'), Smith (72')

Preview: Stoke City vs. Rotherham United - prediction, team news, lineups

By Olly Allen | 29 October 2020

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Stoke City and Rotherham United, including predictions and team news.

Rotherham United will be looking to leapfrog Stoke City in the Championship table when they travel to the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

The Millers got their second win of the season against Sheffield Wednesday in midweek, while the Potters lost to Swansea.

Match preview

Michael Ihiekwe celebrates scoring for Rotherham on September 12, 2020 © Reuters

A 3-0 win over the 10-man Owls, courtesy of a brace from Jamie Lindsay and Dan Barlaser's penalty, was Rotherham's biggest win in the Championship in four and a half years.

Paul Warne admitted that it was a relief to finally pick up a victory, with his side having not won since the opening day prior to Wednesday night.

It was reward for some promising performances so far this season, and the Millers look far better equipped to deal with life in the Championship than they have done in previous campaigns that have ended in relegation.

Warne will now be targeting a rare three points on the road – Rotherham have only two wins in their last 52 away games in the second tier.

If history is anything to go by, they might be in with a shot as Stoke have won just one of the last 10 league meetings between the two sides.

Stoke City players celebrate scoring against Birmingham City on October 4, 2020 © Reuters

The Potters were comfortably outplayed in a 2-0 defeat to Swansea on Tuesday, registering just three shots, none of which was on target.

It was their first loss in six games and Michael O'Neill was left frustrated by the performance and the result, particularly as a win would have taken his team into the playoff positions.

Stoke's promotion credentials will be tested again with upcoming fixtures against Watford and Reading, so O'Neill may feel that victory on Saturday is vital to give them a springboard going into those games.

However, the Potters have won just once at home in the league this season and are yet to keep a clean sheet at the bet365 Stadium in four games.

Stoke City Championship form: WDWDWL
Stoke City form (all competitions): WDWDWL

Rotherham United Championship form: DDLDLW

Team News

Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill pictured on July 4, 2020 © Reuters

Michael O'Neill has admitted that the gruelling demands of the Championship fixture schedule are forcing him to make changes every game to keep players fit.

Steven Fletcher and Tyrese Campbell were both rested on Tuesday against Swansea but should come back into the side after Stoke lacked any real attacking threat without them.

Deadline signing Angus Gunn will make his first start for the club in goal after replacing Adam Davies at half time in midweek. Davies picked up a knee injury in a first half collision.

Paul Warne will hope he has struck upon a winning formula so could name the same team that started the win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Jamal Blackman continues to start in goal despite a problem with his ankle, but the Chelsea loanee is in excellent form so would be hugely missed if taken out of the side.

Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Gunn; Smith, Chester, Souttar, Fox, McClean; Mikel, Thompson, Powell; Fletcher, Campbell

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Blackman; Harding, Ihiekwe, Wood, Mattock; Lindsay, Wiles, Barlaser; Jozefzoon, Ladapo, Miller

SM words green background

We say: Stoke City 0-0 Rotherham United

Buoyed by victory in midweek, Rotherham will travel to Staffordshire full of confidence and they could take a point against a Stoke side who cannot afford to put in another performance like they did against Swansea.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

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 36.27%. A win for Rotherham United had a probability of 35.35% and a draw had a probability of 28.4%.

The most likely scoreline for a Stoke City win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.63%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (7.68%) and 2-0 (6.74%). The likeliest Rotherham United win was 0-1 (11.44%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.26%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Stoke City in this match.