Preview:Stoke City vs Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

Staffordshire's bet365 Stadium will play host to a meeting between the Championship's leading teams on Saturday afternoon, when Stoke City battle Coventry City.

The Potters enjoyed a handsome away success earlier in the week, whilst the league-leading Sky Blues returned to winning ways in the East Midlands.

Match preview

After relegation from the Premier League in 2018 and seven consecutive midtable finishes in the Championship since, Stoke City are finally looking ready to challenge for a return to the top table of English football, with Saturday's hosts flying towards the November international break.

Following the less-than-ideal 2-0 defeat at Millwall on October 21, the Potters have won each of their last three second-tier matches by an aggregate scoreline of 9-1, with their most recent success arriving by the way of a 3-0 triumph at Oxford United on Tuesday night.

Doubling his league tally in the space of 38 minutes at the Kassam Stadium at the expense of the relegation-threatened U's, former Chelsea academy star Lewis Baker bagged a brilliant brace for Stoke, with returning hero Steven N'Zonzi scoring for the club for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.

Losing just one of their last eight second-tier contests, the Potters are sitting second in the Championship rankings ahead of this weekend's mouth-watering clash with the division's pacesetters, four points behind Coventry and one point above third-placed Middlesbrough.

Aiming to do what he ultimately could not in Coventry and guide Stoke to the Premier League, head coach Mark Robins will be preparing for an emotional afternoon on Saturday, with the 55-year-old set to face the club he managed for over seven years between 2017 and 2024.

Despite sitting pretty at the top of the table, Coventry City have experienced a tricky week in the Championship, with Frank Lampard's men responding well to disappointment in order to secure a return to winning ways at home versus Sheffield United on Tuesday night.

Sam McCallum's opener for the visiting Blades had the Yorkshire outfit leading at the half-time break, however a second-half revival allowed the Sky Blues to avoid back-to-back defeats, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Bobby Thomas and Brandon Thomas-Asante finding the net.

Winning nine and losing just one of their opening 14 matches in the 2025-26 league campaign, the East Midlands side have taken control of proceedings at the very summit of the Championship table with 31 points, four points ahead of second-placed Stoke.

No side in the division has taken more points from away matches than Coventry (14) so far this term, however the Sky Blues suffered a rare loss on the road last time out, when a perfect hat-trick from Wales international Kieffer Moore sealed victory for Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.

Scoring five goals in as many matches recently, Lampard's leading marksman Thomas Asante is the outright top goalscorer in the Championship so far this season with 10 strikes, meaning that he is already just one goal away from equalling his best-ever tally in a second-tier campaign.

Stoke City Championship form: D W L W W W

Coventry City Championship form: W W W W L W

Team News

Stoke are without the services of former Celtic man Bosun Lawal, who is ruled out until the start of December because of a hamstring strain.

At the other end of the field, the Potters are yet to welcome Sam Gallagher back to the first-team fold as he recovers from a muscular problem.

Coventry have fared exceptionally well in recent matches despite the absence of creative force Jack Rudoni, who picked up a calf injury in September.

Whilst Oliver Dovin continues his rehabilitation from a serious knee issue, Carl Rushworth will be looking to record his seventh Championship clean sheet of the term this weekend.

Missing from the defeat at Wrexham last Friday, Milan van Ewijk and centre-back Thomas returned to the XI for the success over Sheffield United, highlighting their importance to the back four of the Sky Blues.

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Tchmadeu, Phillips, Wilmot, Bocat; Seko, N'Zonzi, Manhoef, Baker, Thomas; Mubama

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Torp, Grimes, Mason-Clark, Wright, Sakamoto; Thomas-Asante

We say: Stoke City 2-1 Coventry City

After three straight wins in the Championship, Stoke will not be fearing Coventry in the slightest ahead of their clash this weekend.

The Sky Blues showed signs of considerable weakness during their most recent away match, and we feel that it could be more of the same at the bet365 Stadium.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.