Stoke v Sheffield United: Potters appeal at the prices | OneFootball

Stoke are W5-D4-L1 at home in their last 10 here

Stoke are still looking to make certain of their Championship status and face a Sheffield United side that missed out on automatic promotion. Betfair writer Mark O'Haire is backing the Potters to pick up a positive result...

Stoke v Sheffield UnitedFriday April 25, 20:00Live on Sky Sports

Robins reads the riot act to Stoke

Stoke City boss Mark Robins said his side's devastating 6-0 loss at Leeds on Easter Monday was a "kick in the teeth" after a run of successful games. The Potters were unbeaten in five fixtures and had bagged back-to-back league victories before the trip to Elland Road, but their upturn came to a shuddering half as City's shaky defence was torn to pieces.

Robins said, "We didn't compete. We gave them the freedom of the stadium. We didn't lay a glove on them. We made mistakes without trying to do something right. We looked fearful to take part in a game that we looked like we didn't belong in. Anyone who thought we were home and dry that is a kick in the teeth. I have to make sure we're on it on Friday."

Robins made two changes for the clash with Eric Bocat missing out through injury and replaced by fit-again Josh Wilson-Esbrand at left-back while Ali Al-Hamadi came in for Sam Gallagher up front. However, Wilson-Esbrand was replaced at half-time by Lynden Gooch and with Jordan Thompson and Enda Stevens out, Stoke are short on available left-backs.

Wilder attempts to lift Sheff Utd squad

Sheffield United chief Chris Wilder said his team cannot allow morale to drop too low after missing out on automatic promotion to the Premier League. Easter Monday's 2-1 defeat at Burnley means the Blades will finish third in the Championship regardless of what happens in their final two regular season games and will enter into the play-offs.

Speaking post-match, Wilder said: "We can't start feeling sorry for ourselves. We've got to raise ourselves, dust ourselves down and go again. We haven't disgraced ourselves, we haven't let ourselves down. The season went to the 44th game and we had a right go and created some good chances. We want to go and get 90-odd points, that's the target."

The Blades made four changes from Good Friday's victory over Cardiff, with Jack Robinson coming back into the side despite Rob Holding impressing in the skipper's enforced injury absence. Tom Cannon started up front in place of Tyrese Campbell while Ben Brereton Diaz came in for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Kieffer Moore also started in a two-pronged attack.

Potters eager to secure surival

League meetings between Stoke and Sheffield United have been competitive affairs this century with the Blades edging the 17 head-to-head results W6-D6-L5, taking top honours in the last two encounters. However, United have returned a solitary success in their past nine trips Stoke (W1-D5-L3) since 1996, losing on their last two visits to Staffordshire.

Stoke 2.48 are not yet mathematically safe and manager Mark Robins will be eager to bounce back from Easter Monday's drubbing at Elland Road. The Potters had previously posted W4-D2-L1 to move clear of immediate danger, whilst City have also managed W5-D4-L1 in front of their own supporters since Boxing Day, keeping six clean sheets.

Sheffield United 3.10 are W12-D2-L8 since Christmas with Chris Wilder's side now losing three successive away days, including trips to basement battlers Plymouth and Oxford. Across all venues, the Blades have been beaten in four of their most recent five fixtures and come into this contest knowing they will finish the regular season campaign in third.

Blades vulnerable

With Stoke appeal here at the prices considering the hosts still require points to make sure of their Championship status, whilst the Potters are keen to put their Leeds disaster behind them with a positive final home performance of the season. City are W8-D9-L3 here when hosting non top-two opposition and have largely impressed on home soil since Christmas.

Meanwhile, Chris Wilder is expected to rest and rotate his troops ahead of the final two league matches of the season in order to keep his squad fresh for the play-offs. Sheff Utd have lost the shot battle in 12 of 22 away days already this term and have returned a negative Expected Goals (xG) supremacy in games as guests, suggesting they're vulnerable.

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Back Stoke to win @ 2.48