Bristol City vs Stoke City - prediction, team news, lineups

In what could beryllium Roy Hodgson’s last crippled successful management, Bristol City invited Stoke City to Ashton Gate connected the final time of the Championship season.

The Robins had shown signs of betterment pursuing the erstwhile Liverpool and England boss’s instrumentality aft 44 years away, but they present caput into this clash winless successful 4 aft a 2-1 decision to Birmingham City past weekend, portion the Potters person extended their ain mediocre tally to 5 matches without a triumph pursuing a 3-1 location nonaccomplishment to Portsmouth, inspired by an Adrian Segecic hat-trick.

Match preview

Set to instrumentality complaint of the 1,275th lucifer of his managerial career, Hodgson appears acceptable to bring the curtain down this play arsenic Bristol City adjacent retired their run against Stoke City.

The Robins began the 2025-26 play nether Gerhard Struber, who was tasked with gathering connected past year’s playoff finish, but a dip successful signifier aft the crook of the twelvemonth saw them gaffe retired of the apical six and into midtable.

Struber’s departure astatine the extremity of March came arsenic a surprise, with Hodgson brought successful to dependable the ship, and helium has since overseen a mixed tally of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats to assistance the broadside to 13th.

Their latest setback came astatine St Andrew’s, wherever goals from Phil Neumann and Jhon Solis handed Birmingham a 2-1 victory, further highlighting the inconsistency that has defined Bristol City’s run-in.

With small near to play for, attraction has already begun to displacement towards adjacent season, though uncertainty remains implicit who volition beryllium successful charge.

As for the visiting side, Stoke City, they person besides had a mediocre extremity to the play that has seen immoderate playoff hopes drift distant successful caller months. 

On New Year’s Day, Mark Robins’s broadside sat conscionable 3 points disconnected the playoff places and looked susceptible of mounting a superior propulsion for their champion Championship decorativeness since 2008, but a prolonged dip successful signifier has since seen them autumn to 16th heading into the last day.

A triumph present would instrumentality them to 58 points, their highest full since the 2020-21 season, but inactive good abbreviated of their pre-season expectations.

If the Potters are to physique connected this run and equine a much superior promotion propulsion adjacent season, improving their distant signifier volition beryllium essential.

After 22 league matches connected the road, Robins’ broadside person collected conscionable 22 points, a instrumentality bettered by lone six teams, which has played a large relation successful their lowly league position.

Bristol City Championship form:

W W D L D L

Stoke City Championship form:

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Team News

Bristol City’s wounded issues person been a persistent occupation passim the campaign, though they did travel done past weekend’s lucifer without immoderate caller concerns.

Max Bird, Luke McNally and Rob Atkinson stay sidelined and are not expected to instrumentality until adjacent season, but determination is simply a boost with Rob Dickie backmost successful contention aft returning to the seat pursuing a semipermanent absence.

As for the visitors, they besides came distant from their past brushwood unscathed but question to Bristol without a fig of archetypal squad players. 

Aaron Cresswell and Bosun Lawal are some acceptable to miss retired again aft being forced disconnected successful caller weeks, portion Viktor Johansson, Junior Tchamadeu, Ben Gibson, Ben Wilmot, Maksym Talovierov and Tomas Rigo are besides unavailable.

Bristol City imaginable starting lineup:

Vitek; McCrorie, Eile, Dickie, Pring; Knight, Randell; Bell, Horvat, Twine; Riis

Stoke City imaginable starting lineup:

Simkin; Agina, Phillips, Otegbayo, Bocat; Gallagher, Seko, Pearson, Thomas; Bozenik, Cisse

We say: Bristol City 4-2 Stoke City

Final days of the play tin often connection up an array of antithetic scorelines and we expect thing akin here. 

Despite their inconsistent location form, we expect Bristol City to extremity the play connected a affirmative enactment and springiness Hodgson a fitting send-off with an entertaining victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.