Preston 3-1 Stoke City
Updated
Preston won: Preston 3-1 Stoke City in the Championship (Round 39) on Fri, 20 Mar 2026 at Deepdale, Preston. Preston goals: Alfie Devine 15', Milutin Osmajic 57', Alfie Devine 60'. Stoke City goals: Sorba Thomas 4'. Expected goals: 2.84-0.97. Possession: 46-54. Player of the match: Alfie Devine (9.1).
Match report
Preston beat Stoke City 3-1
Preston came from behind to beat Stoke City 3-1 at Deepdale on Friday 20 March in the Championship.
Sorba Thomas put Stoke City ahead on 4' (0-1), Alfie Devine levelled for Preston on 15' (1-1), Milutin Osmajic restored Preston's lead on 57' (2-1) and Alfie Devine made it 3-1 on 60'.
Preston had 46% of the ball, shots were 13-12 (3-2 on target) and expected goals finished 2.84-0.97. Preston were the better side on chances, too.
Alfie Devine (Preston North End) was player of the match with a 9.1 rating.
Attendance: 16,604. Referee: Farai Hallam.
Match stats
| Preston | Stoke City | |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 46 | 54 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.84 | 0.97 |
| Total shots | 13 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
| Touches in opposition box | 28 | 17 |
| Big chances | 4 | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 1 | 0 |
| Accurate passes | 218 (65%) | 268 (69%) |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 1 |
| Corners | 7 | 9 |
| Total shots | 13 | 12 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
| Blocked shots | 5 | 7 |
| Hit woodwork | 0 | 0 |
| Shots inside box | 12 | 4 |
Lineups
Preston (3-1-4-2): Daniel Iversen, Jordan Storey, Liam Lindsay, Andrew Hughes, Ben Whiteman, Pol Valentín, Andrew Moran, Alfie Devine, Andrija Vukcevic, Milutin Osmajic, Lewis Dobbin
Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Tommy Simkin, Junior Tchamadeu, Ashley Phillips, Ben Gibson, Eric Bocat, Steven Nzonzi, Ben Pearson, Million Manhoef, Tomás Rigo, Sorba Thomas, Milan Smit
Key events
- 4' · Goal · Sorba Thomas (Stoke City)
- 15' · Goal · Alfie Devine (Preston)
- 26' · Yellow card · Alfie Devine (Preston)
- 34' · Yellow card · Ben Whiteman (Preston)
- 39' · Yellow card · Million Manhoef (Stoke City)
- 46' · Substitution · Sam Gallagher for Milan Smit (Stoke City)
- 46' · Substitution · Jesurun Rak-Sakyi for Junior Tchamadeu (Stoke City)
- 48' · Substitution · Jun-Ho Bae for Steven Nzonzi (Stoke City)
- 57' · Goal · Milutin Osmajic (Preston)
- 60' · Goal · Alfie Devine (Preston)
- 63' · Substitution · Thierry Small for Andrija Vukcevic (Preston)
- 65' · Substitution · Divin Mubama for Million Manhoef (Stoke City)
- 77' · Substitution · Brad Potts for Andrew Moran (Preston)
- 77' · Substitution · Daniel Jebbison for Milutin Osmajic (Preston)
- 84' · Substitution · Michael Smith for Lewis Dobbin (Preston)
- 84' · Substitution · Odel Offiah for Pol Valentín (Preston)
All-time head-to-head
32 league meetings since 1998: Preston 14, draws 10, Stoke City 8.
Questions
Who won Preston vs Stoke City?
Preston won, 3-1 (Championship) on Fri, 20 Mar 2026.
When and where is Preston vs Stoke City?
Fri, 20 Mar 2026, 20:00 UTC at Deepdale, Preston, Championship.
What is the head-to-head record between Preston and Stoke City?
In 32 league meetings since 1998: Preston 14 wins, 10 draws, Stoke City 8 wins (goals 44-32).