Stoke vs Norwich prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-03-17 15:00.
Stoke City boss Alex Neil said he was “really pleased” with his side’s 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing Middlesbrough on Tuesday night as they went three Championship games unbeaten (W2, D1) for the third time this season. If they can go four league games undefeated – something they’re yet to do this term – by winning against Norwich City then they might feel a late charge for the play-offs is a possibility, albeit a long shot.
Doing so would also mark the reversal of a recent trend as they’ve lost their last three contests against Norwich while conceding ten times. Those defensive struggles have also plagued their home outings against the Canaries, as they’ve won just one of their last three home H2Hs (D1, L1) despite netting at least twice in each of those fixtures.
Norwich endured a frustrating Wednesday evening against Huddersfield Town, drawing 1-1 despite not conceding a shot on target as Grant Hanley’s unfortunate own goal levelled the scores. “We will have to find solutions against Stoke on Saturday and we will need to call up under-21 players,” manager Neil Wagner admitted after Marquinhos was sent off and two other players suffered injuries.
As the Canaries have dropped four points behind the top six, extending a three-game unbeaten streak in league away games is crucial if they’re to stay in touch (W1, D2), particularly with visits to fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough and Blackburn on the horizon. A good start here could be crucial to setting up a strong run-in as they’re unbeaten in Championship road games after scoring first this season (W6, D3).
Players to watch: Ki-Jana Hoever could get Stoke off to a flyer instead though, as he’s scored three times between the 20th minute and half-time across their last two matches. Watch out for Gabriel Sara too, as his strike against Huddersfield marked his third goal in Norwich’s last four games, twice opening the scoring.
Hot stat: Norwich have conceded a league-low two Championship goals from set pieces on the road this term.