Before the match

seven goals for and eight against accompanied Blackburn's three wins and two defeats across five outings. On 31 October, Blackburn recorded a 4-0 defeat visiting Swansea.

Blackburn's away from home game on 31 October (Championship) ended 0-4 against Swansea, with zero goals for and four against. On 24 October, Wrexham faced Blackburn in Championship: Blackburn won 2-0 at home, having scored two and conceded zero. Championship, 17 October brought an away meeting with West Brom; Blackburn lost 2-3, a return of two goals scored and three conceded. Blackburn visited Bristol City on 13 October (Championship) and won 1-0; their goals totalled one, compared with zero conceded. Cardiff travelled to face Blackburn (Championship) on 10 October. For Blackburn, the score was 2-1: two goals scored, one allowed.

Blackburn stood 13th in the results-based Championship table before kickoff, with 18 points from 13 matches.

Stoke's previous five results comprised three wins, one draw and one defeat. Their goal totals were 7 scored and 4 conceded, keeping three clean sheets. Latest: a 2-0 win at home to Preston NE on 31 October.

Playing at home against Preston NE (Championship), Stoke finished 2-0 on 31 October. Their score comprised two goals, against zero from the opposition. 24 October: Stoke drew 0-0 against Bristol City at home in Championship, scoring zero goals and allowing zero. Against Derby County in Championship, Stoke scored one and conceded zero on 17 October; the away from home result was 1-0. Stoke's at home game on 13 October (Championship) ended 2-3 against Middlesbrough, with two goals for and three against. On 10 October, Bolton faced Stoke in Championship: Stoke won 2-1 away from home, having scored two and conceded one.

23 points in 13 matches put Stoke 7th in the pre-match results-based Championship standings.

The last two recorded meetings were a 1-1 draw at Stoke on 11 April and a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on 4 October 2025.

After the match

Jack McGlynn opened the scoring in the 43rd minute for Stoke to make it 1-0. Moussa Baradji (an own goal) added to the tally 68 minutes into the game for Stoke to make it 2-0. Andri Guðjohnsen pulled one back late on, in the 87th minute for Blackburn to make it 1-2. 7 players were booked, among them El Hadji Soumaré (30'), Hayden Carter (33'), Róbert Boženík (62'), Viktor Johansson (74'), Augustus Kargbo (81') and Junior Tchamadeu (90'). On current ratings our Elo-Poisson model gives Stoke only a 29.5% chance in this pairing, less than one in three. Stoke are unbeaten in the latest 4 matches of their recorded form in the 2026/27 Championship. Blackburn picked up three yellow cards. Blackburn: five substitutions. After coming on for Blackburn in minute 67, Augustus Kargbo was booked. four yellow cards went to Stoke. The substitution total for Stoke was five. Junior Tchamadeu entered for Stoke at 46 minutes and later was booked.