After losing their first road game of the week in Leeds, Stoke City will travel west to face Preston North End at the Deepdale. Week 37 clash will begin on Saturday, March 9, at 4pm CET.
Preston North End
While winning the first ever English football league in 1889 is an incredible achievement, Preston North End have not been to the top flight since 1961. Earning a promotion to the Championship in 2015 was a good start, but getting to the playoffs for the first time will be even better.
The Lilywhites vaulted to the eighth place after a successful February, as they stopped losing in the league after January 1. That and a very manageable schedule give the team and its fans all the hope that the miraculous return to the EPL can be achieved this season and not in the future.
Stoke City
The sheer struggles of Stoke City in the EFL Championship after their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, are hard to wrap around. Unable to finish in the upper half of the standings even once, this season might be the worst to date.
Team from Stoke-on-Trent lost to Leeds United earlier this week in their trip to Elland Road, staying at 38 points and in the danger of being relegated to the League One. Now comes another road game, this time in Preston, as the Potters have to get points to breathe a sigh of relief.
Prediction ⚽️
With only 33 goals in 36 league games this season, it is no wonder why Stoke City is hanging near the bottom of the table. Despite all that, the first round match was actually controlled by the hosts, as the visitors snatched the “2-0” victory while being outgained by all stats and measures.
This time it is going to be much more straightforward though, as Preston North End can smell the playoffs nearby, so we will bet on the Lilywhites to win with 2.44 odds 🔥.