Both aiming to build on victories at the weekend after the recent international break, Stoke City and Leeds United will square off in Staffordshire on Wednesday.
The visitors climbed to third spot in the Championship table by beating Norwich City on Saturday, while their hosts returned to winning ways against Sunderland.
Match preview
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Stoke City headed into the 2023-24 season - their first full campaign under the management of Alex Neil - with the aim of improving on their 16th-placed finish last time around, but they have not enjoyed a particularly strong start thus far, as they headed into the October international break with just 10 points on the board from their opening 11 outings.
In those 11 games, the Potters managed three victories while also suffering seven defeats, with the third triumph being a 3-2 victory away at Bristol City in late September to end a five-match run which produced a single point.
Neil's men were unable to build an improved run on the back of that result, though, as they again went on to suffer consecutive defeats before the October break, albeit in tough fixtures against relegated sides Southampton and Leicester City as they lost 1-0 to the former and were beaten 2-0 away at league leaders Leicester with Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy netting the goals.
That saw them return to action at the weekend in 21st spot with just a two-point lead over the relegation zone heading into another tough test at home to fourth-placed Sunderland, but they were able to bounce back to winning ways in Staffordshire, as Luke McNally sealed a 2-1 victory with his 47th-minute goal after Ryan Mmaee had previously put them ahead inside the opening 10 minutes.
Now with some confidence to take from that result, Stoke City will aim to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time this season on Wednesday in the face of a continued difficult schedule of fixtures.
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Their run certainly does not get any easier as Leeds United travel with the aim of scoring a fourth straight league win having climbed up to third spot at the weekend.
Following their relegation from the Premier League last time around, the Yorkshire outfit set their sights on winning automatic promotion at the first time of asking this season under the new management of Daniel Farke, and after a slow start in which they only managed six points from their first five games before the September international break, they appear to have kicked into gear.
In the seven games since returning to action in mid-September, Farke's side have added 16 more points to their tally courtesy of five wins alongside a singular defeat, and they bounced back from that loss away at Southampton in style with back-to-back wins heading into the second break, beating Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City 1-0 and 2-1 respectively at Elland Road.
Aiming to pick up where they left off and further strengthen their standing in the promotion fight, the Whites returned with a trip to Norwich City on Saturday, and after going into the interval 2-0 down following goals from Shane Duffy and Gabriel Sara, they staged a memorable second-half comeback to take all three points from a 3-2 victory, as Duffy scored an own goal around the hour mark and Crysencio Summerville hit a brace in the final 15 minutes.
Now with plenty of momentum on their side having moved onto 22 points and within six of the top two with that dramatic victory, the Whites will aim to continue their march with a fourth straight victory on Wednesday.
Team News
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Stoke City remain without several key players heading into Wednesday's game, as defender Ben Wilmot, midfielder Lewis Baker and attacker Tyrese Campbell are sidelined, although their concerns have eased somewhat thanks to the break, with the likes of Enda Stevens, Ki-Jana Hoever, Ryan Mmaee, Andre Vidigal and Lynden Gooch all having returned to contention after previous layoffs.
Mmaee and Vidigal both started in the attacking unit at the weekend, with the former leading the line and the latter lining up on the left-hand side of a 4-2-3-1 setup, and Mmaee will hope his opening goal is enough to earn him another start up front amid competition from Wesley and Nathan Lowe, while Sead Haksabanovic is also fighting to come in from the outset in the supporting trio.
Elsewhere, Josh Laurent will hope to return to the midfield from the start after Ben Pearson and Wouter Burger were preferred against Sunderland, while Luke McNally and Michael Rose are bound to continue their centre-back partnership with Ki-Jana Hoever and Enda Stevens likely completing the back four again following their returns.
Leeds have also seen their injury concerns ease slightly in recent weeks, with defenders Junior Firpo and Djed Spence and utility man Stuart Dallas being the only remaining absentees heading into the trip to Stoke.
Farke may opt to rotate his squad slightly given their strength in depth, with Patrick Bamford potentially in line to start up front with support from Joel Piroe, who has netted five goals in nine Championship appearances for the Whites since his summer arrival from Swansea City.
Willy Gnonto will push for a start on the wing after his return from injury with Jaidon Anthony also in line to come in, affording rests for Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James, while Archie Gray may rejoin Ethan Ampadu in midfield, leaving room for Luke Ayling on the right-hand side of the back four with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk both set to keep their places at centre-back.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Travers; Hoever, Rose, McNally, Stevens; Pearson, Laurent; Haksabanovic, Johnson, Vidigal; Mmaee
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Ayling, Rodon, Struijk, Byram; Ampadu, Gray; Gnonto, Piroe, Anthony; Bamford
We say: Stoke City 1-2 Leeds United
Stoke City are bound to take some confidence from their return to winning ways at the weekend, but they face a Leeds United side who have an abundance of confidence and momentum.
The Whites now look to be making their quality count under Farke, and we fancy them to make it four straight Championship wins on Wednesday.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
