Stoke City U21 face Burnley U21 at Bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire on Friday, Apr 9 at 8:00 PM in a basement battle that neither side can afford to lose. Both clubs are deep in the relegation picture in the Premier League 2, and defeat here could prove costly come the end of the season.

Stoke City U21 come into this fixture out of form (1W 2L recently). Burnley U21 travel struggling badly (1W 3L in last 4), which may hand the initiative to the hosts. Stoke City U21 head into this on the back of a defeat, while Burnley U21 arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Stoke City U21 and Burnley U21 have split their 1 meetings almost evenly (0W–0D–1W). Their last encounter ended in Burnley U21 won 3–1. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.0 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: Little separates these two on form or history. Home advantage could be the deciding factor — a narrow Stoke City U21 win or a draw looks most likely.