Southampton vs Stoke City Prediction: Saints to find another gear in the cup

A Carabao Cup tie probably comes at the right time for a beleaguered Southampton outfit. Russell Martin’s men have picked up just one point from their opening nine Premier League games and already look up against it in their battle for survival. 

On Tuesday night, they welcome Championship outfit Stoke City to St Mary’s (19:45, Sky Sports+) in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, hoping to find some form. Below you can find my Southampton vs Stoke prediction featuring team news and betting tips. 

Team News

Both Martin and Stoke boss Narcis Pelach are expected to make a hefty dose of changes for this cup tie. But the Southampton gaffer won’t be in the dugout as he continues his touchline ban having been sent off against Leicester City. 

Ryan Fraser is available again however after his suspension, while Flynn Downes is also unlikely to be risked after he picked up a knock in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. Will Smallbone, Gavin Bazunu and Ross Stewart remain out, with the fringe players such as Lesley Ugochukwu likely to feature. 

He could be joined in the XI by Alex McCarthy, Maxwel Cornet and Fraser, while Adam Armstrong could lead the line in place of Cameron Archer. James Bree is a candidate to come in at right-back as Martin searches for solutions to the Saints’ terrible run of form. 

Carabao Cup Odds

With this being their fourth match in eleven days, Stoke are also expected to rotate heavily. “They will have a chance to play in the next coming games,” Pelach said in a recent press conference. “I think the cup is a great opportunity for them to come in and show what they are capable of. I can anticipate that I will do rotations in that game because I want to give a chance to everyone.”

Tatsuki Seko and Sol Sidibe are in line to play some part on the South Coast while Ashley Phillips could be given another start after playing at Bramall Lane on Saturday. Andre Vidigal and Niall Ennis could also be handed starts in what looks like a tough test for the away side. 

Southampton vs Stoke Odds

Southampton are priced at 1/2 to win this game, giving them an implied win probability of 66%, with Stoke available at 11/2. A draw after 90 minutes can be backed at 7/2, over 2.5 goals is 8/13 and BTTS is 8/11. 

Southampton to win to nil @ 6/4

Southampton have not been very good in the Premier League this season. That’s obvious at this moment in time. But, thay have been competitive in the Carabao Cup to reach this stage, beating Cardiff 5-3 and getting past Everton on penalties. They also showed last season that they are an elite side at Championship level and that’s all they need to be to get past Stoke.

The gap between the two divisions is simply gargantuan and it’s incredibly difficult to bridge that gap. Stoke have been hit and miss under their new manager but have struggled to make an impact in their away matches, failing to score in the last four on the road. After a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United, I think we could see something similar against the underperforming Saints. Martin’s men, even if they rotate, should have too much for the Potters to handle.