Stoke City – Blackburn

Rovers will not lose in the second half

The next round of the Championship starts on Friday with an important encounter for the standings. While the intrigue at the top of the Championship table can be considered a rather formal phenomenon, the battle for positions in the play-off zone is fierce. One of the participants in this struggle is Blackburn, who, thanks to a succession of victories, have returned to the top 6 and are firmly entrenched there. Another thing is that Rovers' opponent in their next match will be a club practically devoid of tournament motivation. The almost equal distance between Stoke City and the relegation zone makes the Potters doubly unpredictable and dangerous. Bookmakers have identified the home side as the favourites for the upcoming game, offering odds of just over two on their win. Stoke City spent about ten seasons in the 21st century as a Premier League midfielder. Now the Potters have approximately the same situation at a lower level. According to the results of the last season the team took 14th place in the Championships, while the current one is on the 16th. Stoke City are 12 points behind the playoffs, and 11 points ahead of the relegation zone. In other words, the Potters can play every game without too much pressure, motivated by the status and strength of their opponents. Last round, for example, Stoke City thrashed Sunderland, the club in the top half of the table, 5-1 away. Before that, the Potters suffered two 0-1 home defeats. Blackburn have spent the entire current season in the top ten, occasionally 'visiting' the play-off zone. Rovers started to slip towards the mid-table in December and January, but since the beginning of February they have improved their results and in recent weeks they have been on a winning streak. It now stands at five fixtures, with Leicester and Sheffield United beaten by Blackburn. Bookmakers are suggesting that Rovers will not be able to extend their away series after such tough fixtures. However, there are also no visible prerequisites for their defeat on Friday. Even if Blackburn fail to deal with the home side's pressure in the first half, Rovers' slightly higher class and better playing form should be reflected in the result in the second half.