Bristol City vs Stoke City Prediction: Bristol City will be looking to get closer to playoff spots against Stoke City

Bristol City will welcome Stoke City at Ashton Gate Stadium in Game Week 9 of the English Championship. Bristol City will be looking to get closer to playoff spots against Stoke City. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Bristol City fans will be familiar with their team's history of inconsistency, often resulting in a safe but uneventful second half of the season. This trend could continue in the 2023-24 Championship campaign, as the team has failed to achieve back-to-back victories. Despite this, credit must be given to Nigel Pearson's side for their recent performances, which have earned them 12 points from eight matches. Their second defeat, a 1-0 loss to league leaders Leicester City, was a frustrating result, particularly as it came from a second-half penalty. However, Pearson and his team are determined to move past this and focus on their previous undefeated streak of four matches. There is a concern regarding their goal-scoring abilities, as four out of their nine goals were scored in a single match. Nevertheless, there are signs that Bristol City possesses the necessary qualities to maintain a consistent performance and potentially challenge for a top-six position.

Bristol City's possible starting lineup is O'Leary; Tanner, Dickie, Naismith, Pring; James, Williams; Sykes, Weimann, Bell; Wells.

Stoke City had hoped to have a similar standing in the league, but their manager, Neil, is facing the possibility of losing his job. The team has suffered four defeats in their last five games, leaving them just two points above the relegation zone. In total, they have lost five out of eight league matches this season. The home supporters expressed their anger after a 3-1 defeat to Hull City, which was followed by an EFL Cup elimination against Bournemouth. Neil's managerial record of 25 defeats in 54 matches, with only 18 victories, puts his position in jeopardy. Stoke's upcoming matches against Bristol City, Southampton, and Leicester could determine whether Neil remains as their manager or not.

Stoke City's possible starting lineup is Travers; Gooch, McNally, Rose, Wilmot, Johnson; Thompson, Laurent, Pearson; Gayle, Haksabanovic.

Despite their defeat to Leicester, Bristol City showed promise, which gives them an advantage this weekend. Stoke, on the other hand, seems to be struggling under Neil's management, leading us to predict a narrow victory for Bristol City. We expect under 2.5 goals in the game with only one of the side scoring.