Stoke City 1/1 to beat Barnsley in Wednesday’s Championship showdown

Competition: Championship

Market: Stoke City win

Odds: 1/1 @ 888sport

In a contest between two sides battling it out at opposite ends of the Championship table, Stoke will welcome Barnsley to the Bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night.

Starting with the hosts, while Stoke might have suffered a hugely disappointing campaign at the Bet365 last season, the Potters have found a new lease of life under Michael O’Neill. Keeping the mood in their camp at a real high with a deserved 2-0 win away at Luton, the former North Ireland boss now has a real play-off charge at the top of his agenda. Now in the midst of a five-match unbeaten run and with an ever-growing reputation for their rugged displays at the back, Stoke have really made a name for themselves after what has been nothing short of a stunning run in this year’s EFL Cup. Picking up back-to-back victories against the Premier League duo of Wolves and Aston Villa, Wednesday’s hosts are also the only side to beat a high-flying Villa since opening the 2020/2021 campaign.

As for the visitors, while Stoke might find the mood in their camp at a real high, Barnsley have struggled to find any real level of form and would not have been helped by Head Coach Gerhard Struber leaving his position earlier in the month. While they might have managed to come from behind late on and grab a 2-2 draw off of Bristol City over the weekend, the Reds are yet to pick up a single Championship victory so far this season and are already seen as a leading contender to be at the heart of another relegation scrap this time around. With a real reputation for their issues at the back after also being hit for six away at Premier League outfit Chelsea in the EFL Cup last month, Barnsley could also be haunted by their most recent meeting against Wednesday’s hosts. Hit with a 4-0 drumming when they made the trip to the Bet365 Stadium back in July, we’re backing a similar home victory.

Bet: Stoke City 1/1 to beat Barnsley in Wednesday’s Championship showdown @ 888sport