Verdict: Over 2,5 goals – yes
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
Both Stoke City and Leicester City are coming off decent wins in their last Premier League matches, and both will try to extend their momentum when they meet this Saturday at 12:30 BST at bet365 Stadium. Both teams have just one point of difference in the standings. Whoever wins will have a huge chance to move a bit closer to the zone of European competitions.
Stoke City
It is safe to say that Stoke City have not had the kind of season they were expecting. Even by their standards, The Potters have been slightly inconsistent and have not managed to take advantage of their opportunities in games where they could have ended with a better outcome. They currently sit in 14th place with 11 points in 10 matches, and their record has not been very good at home, as they only register two wins, one draw, and two losses. They also have just one win in their past four Premier League contests and are coming off a disappointing 1-2 defeat against Bournemouth. As if that wasn’t enough, Stoke’s record against Leicester is not very promising. They have defeated The Foxes just once in six EPL contests. Perhaps winning against them this Saturday will be what the team needs to get into a positive run of results.
Team News
The Potters will have a few absentees ahead of this game. Geoff Cameron (concussion), Stephen Ireland (broken leg) and Bruno Martins Indi (groin) have all been ruled out, which means the team will be slightly depleted on the defensive end.
As if that wasn’t enough, Peter Crouch’s availability will be determined closer to kick-off time due to a lower back problem. The towering striker will need to undergo a late-fitness test to determine whether he will play or not.
Leicester City
Stoke have been inconsistent, but if we take a look at the recent records, then we can see that Leicester are finally finding some of the consistency they desperately lacked a few months ago. Dating back to September 16, The Foxes have just one defeat in eight matches across all competitions and are riding a four-game undefeated streak in the Premier League with two draws and two wins. Leicester also have a three-game winning streak across all competitions, and are coming off a huge 2-0 over Everton this past weekend. Their recent results against Stoke have been very good since they are riding a four-game undefeated streak against them, but some of their players need to step it up if they want to maintain that run of results. One of them is Jamie Vardy, as the England international has scored just once in his past five games across all competitions.
Team News
The Foxes will have a fair share of absentees, too, as they won’t have three players ahead of this pivotal contest.
Robert Huth (ankle), Matthew James (Achilles) and Adrien Silva (ineligible) are all out, creating quite a problem for manager Claude Puel.
Key Factors to Consider
- Leicester City have improved their fate of late, and are quietly riding a three-game winning streak across all competitions.
- There have been at least 3 goals in Stoke’s last 4 home games in the PL, while Leicester have scored at least 2 goals in their last 4 matches against the Potters in all competitions.
- Stoke have won just 1 of their 6 meetings against Leicester in the Premier League, losing 3 and drawing 2.
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Both teams have scored at least one goal in each of their last three matches.
- Leicester are riding a four-game undefeated streak against Stoke in all competitions, winning two and drawing the other two.
Conclusion
Leicester City are riding a very good run of form in recent weeks. However, Stoke have been quite prolific at home and have registered at least three goals in each of their past four games at Bet365 Stadium.
It is safe to say we should witness at least 2,5 goals in this game.
Verdict: Over 2,5 goals – yes
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
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