Stoke Battles Southampton: Match Preview
This weekend, Southampton is set to face Stoke City in a crucial Sky Bet Championship match. The match will take place at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, January 31, at 12:30 PM GMT.
Match Overview
- Teams: Stoke City vs Southampton
- Date: Saturday, January 31
- Time: 12:30 PM GMT
- Venue: bet365 Stadium
Match Officials
- Referee: Farai Hallam
- Assistants: Andrew Fox, Richard Woodward
- Fourth Official: Leigh Doughty
Team Kits
Stoke will don their classic red and white stripes, while Southampton will wear yellow and blue stripes.
Ticket Information
Only a limited number of the 3,009 available tickets remain for fans traveling to Stoke.
Live Coverage
Fans can watch the match live on Sky Sports Football, with coverage beginning at 11 AM GMT. Additionally, Saints Play match passes are available in unsold territories.
What’s at Stake?
Southampton aims to carry momentum from their recent victories. After breaking a seven-match winless streak against Sheffield United, they drew against Portsmouth last weekend. Meanwhile, Stoke is looking to recover from their recent slump, having dropped from league leaders to 10th place and failing to win in three consecutive matches.
Team News
Stoke City
The Potters could see the return of several key players. Bosun Lawal is back from suspension, while Ben Gibson and Ben Wilmot are fit following injuries. New signing Milan Smit might make his debut. However, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is both injured and ineligible.
Southampton
Manager Tonda Eckert is optimistic about Leo Scienza returning to fitness after an injury. Mads Roerslev will be playing for the Under-21s as he recovers from his injury. The team does not face significant fresh injury concerns.
Manager Insights
Mark Robins (Stoke City)
Robins expressed concern over potential soft tissue injuries due to limited squad rotation, emphasizing the need for player fitness for upcoming fixtures.
Tonda Eckert (Southampton)
Eckert highlighted the importance of using tactical moments to counterpressure and convert opportunities into goals, especially given the tendency for low-scoring matches.
Key Players
- Sorba Thomas (Stoke City): With 16 goal contributions this season, Thomas will aim to replicate his winning performance from August.
- Leo Scienza (Southampton): Scienza, fresh off scoring in two consecutive matches, could be pivotal in Southampton’s attack against Stoke.
Goals and Assists Leaders
| Stoke City | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Sorba Thomas | 9 | 7 |
| Sam Mubama | 5 | 3 |
| Emmanuel Manhoef | 5 | 2 |
| Southampton | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Armstrong | 11 | 4 |
| Finley Azaz | 7 | 4 |
| Leo Scienza | 5 | 4 |
Recent Form
Stoke City
- Birmingham (A): Draw 1-1
- Middlesbrough (H): Loss 1-2
- QPR (H): Draw 0-0
- Coventry (H): Win 1-0
- Norwich (A): Win 2-0
Southampton
- Portsmouth (A): Draw 1-1
- Sheffield United (H): Win 1-0
- Hull (H): Loss 1-2
- Doncaster (A): Win 3-2
- Middlesbrough (A): Loss 0-4
Head-to-Head
In their last five meetings:
- August 2025: Saints 1-2 Stoke (Championship)
- October 2024: Saints 3-2 Stoke (Carabao Cup)
- April 2024: Saints 0-1 Stoke (Championship)
- October 2023: Stoke 0-1 Saints (Championship)
- March 2018: Saints 0-0 Stoke (Premier League)
Stay Informed
Fans not attending the match can download the official Saints app for live updates and follow Southampton’s social media for additional coverage and exclusive content. Furthermore, Saints Memberships are currently available at half price, providing access to ticket discounts and early ticket buying.
