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Championship · Matchday 16

Stoke City vs Birmingham City: Match Preview & Stats

bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Our picks

Model predictions are published 48 hours before kick-off

To take in the latest form and rest days, the predictions for this match come out on . (If either team plays another match in between, they come out once that match is over.)

See today's ready predictions →

Our record

  • Stoke City: 2 of 7 right
  • Birmingham City: 6 of 7 right

Our result picks in each club's earlier matches on this site.

Match facts

Competition
Championship, Matchday 16
Kick-off
Venue
bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Since last match
Stoke City: 14 days (Championship) · Portsmouth (1‑2) Birmingham City: 14 days (Championship) · Swansea City (2‑1)
Next match
Stoke City: 4 days (Championship) later · Millwall Birmingham City: 4 days (Championship) later · Burnley

Last starting XI

Stoke City 3-4-3

  1. 1 Johansson
  2. 16 Wilmot
  3. 18 Lawal
  4. 5 Graham
  5. 22 Tchamadeu
  6. 27 Soumaré
  7. 8 Galbraith
  8. 2 Johnson
  9. 7 McGlynn
  10. 9 Bozeník
  11. 42 Manhoef

Coach: Mark Robins at Portsmouth, 2-1 · Championship · 7 Nov

Birmingham City 4-2-3-1

  1. 21 Allsop
  2. 2 Laird
  3. 5 Neumann
  4. 4 Klarer
  5. 20 Cochrane
  6. 24 Iwata
  7. 14 Solís
  8. 16 Roberts
  9. 18 Bird
  10. 17 Millar
  11. 28 Stansfield

Coach: Chris Davies vs Swansea City, 2-1 · Championship · 7 Nov

Our predicted line-ups come with our picks, 48 hours before kick-off. Until then: each club's last starting XI.

Injuries and suspensions

Stoke City

  • DF Aaron CresswellInjured · Doubtful
  • MF Eric BocatInjured · Late November 2026
  • FW Lamine CisséInjured · Late November 2026
  • – Ato AmpahInjured · Mid January 2027

Birmingham City

  • GK James BeadleInjured · Late November 2026
  • FW August PriskeInjured · Doubtful

Players listed as injured, suspended or away with their national team, with their expected return.

Missing Players Impact

Stoke City

Moderate impact
Missing attack share 11.0%
Missing minutes share 7.0%
4 players out 2 regular starters out
Key absences:
  • FW Lamine Cissé 7% attack · 4% mins
  • MF Eric Bocat 5% attack · 4% mins

Birmingham City

Moderate impact
Missing attack share 11.0%
Missing minutes share 11.0%
2 players out 2 regular starters out
Key absences:
  • FW August Priske 11% attack · 4% mins
  • GK James Beadle 0% attack · 6% mins

Share of team playing time and attacking output over the last 10 matches accounted for by unavailable players.

Tactical Profile & Play Quality (0–100)

Stoke City Birmingham City
Box & Territory Pressure 34 61
Set-Piece & Corner Threat 62 73
Finishing Efficiency 80 60
Defensive & Goalkeeper Wall 74 68
Underlying Play Power 35 71
Stoke City Results above play quality (running hot)
Birmingham City Results above play quality (running hot)

OptimaGoal 0–100 performance indices built from the last 10 matches before kick-off.

Game-State Scenarios & Goal Timing

Stoke City

When scoring first 70% won · 80% unbeaten (10 matches)
When conceding first 50% points rescued · 50% won (4 matches)
1st Half: 54% 2nd Half: 46%
First 15': 17% Last 15' (76-90'): 17%

Birmingham City

When scoring first 100% won · 100% unbeaten (7 matches)
When conceding first 71% points rescued · 14% won (7 matches)
1st Half: 54% 2nd Half: 46%
First 15': 7% Last 15' (76-90'): 14%

Reaction to scoring or conceding first and goal distribution across the last 15 matches.

Key Attacking Threats

Stoke City

  1. 1. FW Jack McGlynn 5G · 2A
    Team attack 18.0% Team shots 13.0%
  2. 2. MF Ethan Galbraith 0G · 4A
    Team attack 13.0% Team shots 10.0%
  3. 3. DF Ben Wilmot 3G · 0A
    Team attack 9.0% Team shots 9.0%

Birmingham City

  1. 1. FW Liam Millar 4G · 3A
    Team attack 15.0% Team shots 11.0%
  2. 2. FW Jay Stansfield 3G · 1A
    Team attack 14.0% Team shots 19.0%
  3. 3. DF Alexander Cochrane 2G · 1A
    Team attack 7.0% Team shots 4.0%

Top available players by share of team attacking production and shot volume over the last 10 matches.

Scoring trends Stoke City Birmingham City
Over 1.5 goals 8/10 8/10
Over 2.5 goals 6/10 8/10
Over 3.5 goals 1/10 3/10
Both teams scored 7/10 5/10
Clean sheet 3/10 4/10
Failed to score 1/10 1/10
Goals per match (scored / conceded) 1.6 / 0.9 2.1 / 0.8

Last 10 matches, all competitions, results after 90 minutes.

Form guide

Stoke City

  • W 2-1 at Portsmouth (A) Championship · 7 Nov
  • W 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers (A) Championship · 3 Nov
  • W 2-0 vs Preston North End (H) Championship · 31 Oct
  • D 0-0 vs Bristol City (H) Championship · 24 Oct
  • W 1-0 at Derby County (A) Championship · 17 Oct

Birmingham City

  • W 2-1 vs Swansea City (H) Championship · 7 Nov
  • W 3-0 vs Millwall (H) Championship · 3 Nov
  • W 3-1 at Lincoln City (A) Championship · 31 Oct
  • L 0-1 at Cardiff City (A) Championship · 24 Oct
  • W 3-0 vs Queens Park Rangers (H) Championship · 17 Oct

Last five competitive matches before kick-off, all competitions, results after 90 minutes.

When the goals come

ScoredConceded

Stoke City

  • 1-15 minutes: 4 scored, 2 conceded
  • 16-30 minutes: 5 scored, 3 conceded
  • 31-45 minutes: 4 scored, 0 conceded
  • 46-60 minutes: 5 scored, 3 conceded
  • 61-75 minutes: 2 scored, 3 conceded
  • 76-90 minutes: 4 scored, 7 conceded

Birmingham City

  • 1-15 minutes: 2 scored, 1 conceded
  • 16-30 minutes: 6 scored, 1 conceded
  • 31-45 minutes: 7 scored, 7 conceded
  • 46-60 minutes: 5 scored, 1 conceded
  • 61-75 minutes: 4 scored, 2 conceded
  • 76-90 minutes: 4 scored, 2 conceded

Goals in each 15-minute period, Championship this season. Stoppage time counts with its half.

Top scorers

Stoke City

Player G A
Jack McGlynn 5 2
Ethan Galbraith 3 4
Ben Wilmot 3 0
Eric Bocat 2 2
Sam Gallagher 2 1

Birmingham City

Player G A
August Priske (1 pen) 6 1
Liam Millar 4 3
Jay Stansfield 4 1
Demarai Gray (1 pen) 3 0
Alexander Cochrane 2 2

Goals and assists in the Championship this season.

Corners and yellow cards

Stoke City Birmingham City
  • 4.5 Corners won 5.5
  • 5.5 Corners conceded 4.2
  • 2.1 Yellow cards 2.1
  • 2.1 Opponents' yellow cards 1.7

Per match in the Championship this season. Average per club and match: 5.2 corners, 1.9 yellow cards.

Attack and defence ratings

Stoke CityBirmingham City
Attack 17 65 1.6 goals per match this season1.9 goals per match this season
Defence 52 91 1.2 conceded per match this season0.9 conceded per match this season

0 to 100 against this season's Championship clubs (100 = best). The rating is our model's long-run strength before this match: it uses the last three years and counts recent matches most, so a few results do not move it at once. Under each rating: this season's actual goals per match.

1668Elo #273 Elo rating 1757Elo #162

Head-to-head

4Stoke City wins
6draws
7Birmingham City wins

17 meetings since 2010, results after 90 minutes.

  • 24 Jan 2026 · Championship Birmingham City 1-1 Stoke City
  • 13 Sep 2025 · Championship Stoke City 1-0 Birmingham City
  • 20 Jan 2024 · Championship Stoke City 1-2 Birmingham City
  • 26 Dec 2023 · Championship Birmingham City 1-3 Stoke City
  • 10 Apr 2023 · Championship Birmingham City 0-0 Stoke City

Table

Championship: Table
#Team PWDLGoalsGDPts
1 Birmingham City 15 852 28:14 +14 29
2 Middlesbrough 15 852 30:19 +11 29
3 Stoke City 15 924 24:18 +6 29
4 Southampton 15 843 29:15 +14 28
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15 843 26:18 +8 28
6 West Bromwich Albion 15 843 23:15 +8 28
7 Swansea City 15 825 22:18 +4 26
8 Queens Park Rangers 15 663 24:18 +6 24
9 West Ham United 15 654 37:23 +14 23
10 Sheffield United 15 645 21:19 +2 22
11 Portsmouth 15 645 20:18 +2 22
12 Norwich City 15 708 32:24 +8 21
13 Blackburn Rovers 15 636 22:23 -1 21
14 Cardiff City 15 465 27:27 0 18
15 Wrexham 15 465 18:20 -2 18
16 Millwall 15 537 23:27 -4 18
17 Bristol City 15 537 16:24 -8 18
18 Bolton Wanderers 15 528 20:29 -9 17
19 Charlton Athletic 15 456 13:23 -10 17
20 Watford 15 438 13:23 -10 15
21 Lincoln City 15 438 15:26 -11 15
22 Burnley 15 177 22:31 -9 10
23 Derby County 15 249 14:30 -16 10
24 Preston North End 15 2211 13:30 -17 8

Our table from the results; the two clubs of this match are highlighted. Full table

Season projection

Members

Where these two clubs are projected to finish in the Championship: average points, likely range and chances.

ClubPts Avg ptsLikely TitlePromotedPlay-offsRelegated
Stoke City 29
Birmingham City 29

For members

Every club's chance of every place, from our simulated seasons, updated daily.

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Times are UTC.