- Stoke have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five matches.
- Blackburn Rovers have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five.
Potters and Rovers in an unfamiliar position
Stoke and Blackburn Rovers go into their Championship clash on Saturday with contrasting recent form but a head-to-head record that is almost identical. Rovers have won just two of their last five against Stoke, the Potters have won twice and there has been one draw.
Their most recent meeting finished 1-1 at Blackburn and the last five meetings have seen the two sides split the wins with two each and a draw between them. The 19th-placed Rovers have 47 points from 41 games, 7 points and 6 places behind Stoke who are 13th.
Contrast in styles
Stoke’s style is usually more cautious and patient, building up from the back and using their compact 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 to control the ball and structure their play. Rovers are a much more high-tempo team, pressing relentlessly and playing in 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 to get the ball back as quickly as possible and then attack with numbers.
This clash of styles could be decided by which side is most effective in transition, with Rovers looking to force errors in the build-up and Stoke looking to play with control and structure.
Potters can edge it
Mark Robins has done a solid job since taking over in January 2025, instilling a pragmatic, structure-first approach to his side that makes them solid at the back. Rovers have been much better since Michael O’Neill took over in February 2026 and the Scot has introduced a real pressing discipline to his team.
Stoke have gone unbeaten in their last three home games, winning two and drawing one. Rovers have picked up 2 wins from their last 3 away matches but the 1-0 win at Birmingham City was gritty and not quite the same standard of opponent as Stoke.
Blackburn to make it tough
With these two sides so close in the table and with Stoke coming into this at 39/25 it seems sensible to back the hosts to edge this contest on home soil.
Blackburn are averaging 0.95 goals per away game in the Championship and have conceded an average of 1.20 on their travels. Stoke are scoring 1.55 per home game and conceding just 1.05.
The Rovers have been outscoring Stoke in their head-to-head home record, 1.5 to 0.5 in the last five, but the Potters are solid enough defensively to keep them out here. A high-scoring affair looks likely, so I’m backing Over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 11/10, but Rovers are the side more likely to be shut out. Back Both Teams to Score - No at 91/100.
Sorba Thomas is Stoke’s top scorer in the Championship with 10 in 40 appearances, but the best chance of a goal for Rovers is from Mathias Joergensen, who has scored two of his side’s last three and is in red-hot form, hitting two in the previous five.
