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

Leeds United volition anticipation to proceed their promotion complaint connected Thursday, erstwhile they question to the bet365 Stadium to look strugglers Stoke City successful their 23rd Championship lucifer of 2024-25.

The hosts are sixth past successful 19th spot with conscionable 22 points pursuing their 2-0 decision against Sheffield Wednesday connected December 21, portion the Whites are 2nd with 45 points and beat Oxford United 4-0 past Saturday.

Match preview

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Stoke volition beryllium bitterly disappointed that they failed to bushed Sheffield Wednesday considering their opponents were reduced to 10 men successful the 41st infinitesimal erstwhile the scoreline was 0-0 but inactive someway emerged arsenic 2-0 victors.

Head manager Narcis Pelach has travel nether unit successful caller weeks, but helium insisted that his side's first-half showing was good, saying: "In the archetypal fractional I deliberation we were much pragmatic, aggressive, won galore much duels and 2nd balls which is what I request from the team. The archetypal 45 minutes are good."

Pelach's broadside are lone supra 22nd-placed Cardiff City – who inhabit the last relegation spot – by 4 points and person played an other game.

The Potters' signifier is concerning fixed they person mislaid 4 of their 5 astir caller outings, are winless successful their past 8 matches and person conceded astatine slightest 2 goals successful each of their past 5 games.

Stoke person astatine slightest been hard to bushed astatine location considering they person mislaid conscionable erstwhile astatine the bet365 Stadium successful their past 8 fixtures, though they did gully 5 times successful that period.

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Visitors Leeds produced 5 large chances and astir 3 xG past clip out, portion besides limiting Oxford United to 1 large accidental and zero shots connected target.

Boss Daniel Farke suggested that the borderline of his team's triumph could beryllium important successful the agelong run, telling reporters: "The astir important happening for america was to instrumentality to the dressing country with the cleanable expanse and 3 important points. It was bully for the extremity difference. The show was fantabulous and to make the chances against specified a heavy sitting block."

Leeds boast the division's champion extremity quality having scored 41 goals and conceded connected 15 occasions successful the 2nd tier – the league's champion violative and third-best antiaircraft returns.

Farke's broadside are successful fantabulous signifier having won 9 of their 13 astir caller matches, with the nine besides keeping 7 cleanable sheets successful that time.

However, the Peacocks person been somewhat susceptible distant from location considering they person been held to a stalemate 4 times and been defeated doubly successful their past 7 fixtures connected the road.

Stoke City Championship form:

Leeds United Championship form:

Team News

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The hosts volition beryllium without antiaircraft midfielder Ben Pearson, truthful expect Tatsuki Seko and Wouter Burger to look successful a treble pivot together.

Centre-backs Ben Wilmot, Michael Rose and Ben Gibson could commencement successful a backmost 3 successful beforehand of goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

Striker Thomas Cannon is apt to beryllium supported by attackers Andrew Moran and Lewis Koumas.

As for Leeds, they volition person to find ways of coping with the lack of defenders Junior Firpo and Maximilian Wober, who are not scheduled to instrumentality until aboriginal January owed to musculus injuries.

The visitors could deploy a backline featuring Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Sam Byram.

Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka whitethorn commencement successful midfield fixed Ilia Gruev has been ruled retired until the mediate of adjacent month, portion Dan James and Manor Solomon are apt to commencement retired wide successful airy of the information Joe Gelhardt volition miss not beryllium disposable for selection.

Stoke City imaginable starting lineup:
Johansson; Wilmot, Rose, Gibson; Tchamadeu, Seko, Burger, Bocat; Moran, Koumas; Cannon

We say: Stoke City 0-3 Leeds United

Despite the information that Stoke person not often mislaid astatine home, they are successful dire signifier and person been porous successful their antiaircraft third.

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