Stoke City and Wigan Athletic face at Britannia Stadium, in a match for the 17th round of the Championship. The head‑to‑head record between these two teams couldn't be more balanced, since there were 1 draw and 1 win for each team in the last 3 head‑to‑heads. The last head‑to‑head between these two teams was played on 13‑08‑2019, and ended in a (0‑1) win by Stoke City. Both teams register significant differences between home and away results, so the home/away factor is worth atention.
Analysis of Stoke
After 3 wins, 2 draws and 11 losses, the home team is in the 23th position, havinf won 11 points so far. In the last match, they have won in an away match against Barnsley by (2‑4), after in the previous match they have lost (0‑2) at home, against West Bromwich Albion. This is a team that usually gets better results in away matches than at home, since in the last 30 matches they register 6 wins, 4 draws and 5 losses in away matches, with 21 goals scored and 20 conceded; against 2 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses at their stadium, with 17 goals scored and 23 conceded. In the last 8 home league matches Stoke City has a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 6 losses, so they have won 4 points out of 24 possible. The most recurrent result at half‑time in their home league matches was the 0‑1 (3 out of 8 matches). They haven't been very strong defensively, since they have suffered goals in 8 of the last 10 matches for this competition. They have conceded the first goal in 10 of their 16 matches for this competition, and have only turned the score around in 1. In the last 9 home matches for all competitions there is 1 period that stands out: they have scored 3 of their 8 goals between minutes (76'‑90').
The Stoke City team starts for this highly motivated game after a 2-4 win in Barnsley's arena: the goals of the team were signed by Allen, Clucas and Gregory. In this match against Wigan, coach Michael O'Neill should benefit from the maintenance of ball possession and organized attacks. Most likely this team should be organizing in 4-3-3 where Lee Gregory occupies the earlier position. Sam Clucas is the star of the team, being very fast and strong in the counterattack. Out of this game are Etebo and Shawcross, both injured.
Analysis of Wigan
The away team is currently in the 20th position of the league, with 15 points won, after 4 wins, 3 draws and 9 losses. In the penultimate match, they lost in a home match against Swansea City, by (1‑2). In the last match, they lost in a home match against Brentford, by (0‑3). This is a team that usually makes good use of the home advantage, stronger with the help of its supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 2 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses in away matches, with 19 goals scored and 24 conceded; against 6 wins, 5 draws and 4 losses at their stadium, with 14 goals scored and 13 conceded. In the last 8 away league matches Wigan Athletic has a record of 2 draws and 6 losses, so they have won 2 points out of 24 possible.
In this competition, they haven’t won any of the last 8 away matches. In their away matches there are a few frequent results: at half‑time 0‑0 (3 out of 8 matches) and after the 90' 1‑0 (3 out of 8 matches). Defensive consistency hasn’t been their best feature, as they have conceded goals in 7 of the last 10 matches for this competition. In 16 matches for this competition, they have conceded the first goal 10 times and have only turned the score around in 1.
Wigan start for this match after a 0-3 defeat at Brentford, adding the fourth consecutive meeting without a win in this competition. Usually the coach Paul Cook plays in 4-3-3 where Michael Jacobs, Jamal Lowe and Kieffer Moore the most offensive references of the team. It is important to highlight the quality of Joe Williams: this athlete has competence in organizing the offensive process. Out of this game by punishment is Cédric Kipré.
Betting suggestion:
Given what we discussed earlier, the possibility of a match with few goals is great. Playing at home, Stoke City should push Wigan into their midfield, as they have players with more technical skills, however, with difficulties in finishing. On the other hand, Wigan should try to achieve at least one good result, but they do not have enough weapons to achieve it. That said, we think the 'Minus 2.5 Goals' market is best suited for this game.
