Stoke vs Millwall prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-12-22 15:00.
Steve Schumacher is vowing to make the bet365 Stadium “a formidable place where teams don’t like going to play” after being appointed as Stoke City’s new manager. The Potters have won just four times on home soil in the league this season (D2, L5), and their new boss insists improving that form will be key if they are to stave off any threat of relegation to the third tier for the first time in over two decades.
The former Plymouth chief will take charge of the club for the first time for the visit of Millwall, replacing Alex Neil after he was sacked after a run of six games without a win (D2, L4). Paul Gallagher assumed caretaker charge in the wake of Neil’s dismissal and oversaw a pair of 1-1 draws in the immediate aftermath, groundwork Schumacher will do well to build upon against a Millwall side Stoke have won just one of their last ten league H2Hs against (D3, L6).
With five of the last six of those H2Hs being won by Millwall (L1), including a 1-0 victory in August, this looks to be a great opportunity for Millwall themselves to steer further clear of the drop zone. That August triumph proved to be a rare victory for the Lions this season, and they are also getting familiar with a new face in the dugout following the dismissal of Gary Rowett in October.
Joe Edwards is the man charged with dragging them away from danger, but he has gone six matches without a win (D2, L4) since a 4-0 hammering of Sheffield Wednesday in his first game at the helm. That has led the new boss to describe his time at The Den as a “mixed experience” so far, and as Millwall now stand on the brink of losing four successive away league games for the first time since September 2018, things could yet get worse for Edwards.
Key battle: Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham has only kept one clean sheet in his last eight home appearances (W1, D2, L5). He will be attempting to stop Zian Flemming, who has lost just once in 16 goalscoring appearances for Millwall (W10, D5), netting first or last in 14 of those matches!
Hot stat: Millwall haven’t won a single league game in which they have conceded the first goal this season (D2, L8).