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The action continues in round eight of EFL Championship as Stoke City and Portsmouth lock horns at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Potters cruised to a 3-0 victory in their EFL Cup clash in August 2014.
Stoke City’s early-season struggles in the Championship continued on Saturday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. The Potters have lost three league games on the bounce, conceding six goals and scoring once since the start of September.
With six points from the first 21 available, Stoke City occupy 20th place in the Championship standings, two points and three places above Wednesday’s visitors.
Portsmouth, on the other hand, were denied their first win since returning to the second tier as they played out a goalless draw with Sheffield United at the weekend.
John Mousinho’s men have now gone eight straight games without a win across all competitions this season, claiming four draws and losing four, including a 1-0 defeat against Millwall in the EFL Cup opening round on August 13.
Portsmouth's slow start to the league campaign has been due to their struggles at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have conceded 13 goals already — only Cardiff City (17) and Sheffield Wednesday (14) have shipped more.
Stoke City vs Portsmouth Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Portsmouth boast a slightly superior record in the history of this fixture, having won 27 of the last 66 meetings between the two teams.
- Stoke City have picked up two fewer wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on 14 occasions.
- Stoke City have lost all but one of their last six Championship games, with a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on August 31 being the exception.
- Portsmouth are on a run of 10 straight matches without a win across all competitions, losing five and claiming five draws since a 2-0 friendly victory over Bognor Regis on July 20.
Stoke City vs Portsmouth Prediction
Stoke City and Portsmouth have stumbled into the new campaign and will head into Wednesday’s tie in search of a pick-me-up.
However, the Potters’ home advantage gives them a slight edge and we are backing them to come away with all three points.
Prediction: Stoke City 3-1 Portsmouth
Stoke City vs Portsmouth Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Stoke City to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in five of the last six clashes between the two teams)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in their last six encounters)
