It’s Premier League match time at the Britannia Stadium as Stoke get set to host Bolton in a second leg meeting in match week 23 on January 15.

Bolton prevailed 2-1 in a thrilling first leg match hosted by the Trotters on October 16, 2001, which ended with the winning goal on 90 minutes from Klasnic who go sent off promptly thereafter. Lee gave the hosts the lead on 22 minutes, and Coyle’s men went into the break with a 1-0 lead. Four minutes after the break, Stoke drew level on the back of Delap’s strike, to set up an enthralling second half.

It was a patchy game for Bolton who played better in the first half. the equaliser came off a corner thanks to a defensive error by the hosts. Ironically, Klasnic’s winning goal came off a long throw, minutes after Davies had missed a sitter.

It is fair to say that Stoke took the game to Bolton in the second half and would have felt justifiably disappointed not to have taken a point from the game. Etherington missed on a couple of scoring opportunities, and a win would have taken Stoke to a top four position in the points table. Currently, Bolton are in 7th place, three adrift of Stoke, on 10th.

Stoke have won 5 of 11 home games this season, while losing 4 and drawing the remaining 2. Bolton have not had a great away record with as many 5 losses in 11 games on the road while winning just 2 and drawing the rest.

While Stoke have won 2 of their last 5 league games, while losing 3, Bolton have just the one win in their last 5, while drawing one and losing the rest. In match week 22, Stoke lost 2-1 away to Manchester United, while Bolton drew 1-1 at home against Wigan.

Head to head Bolton have won 3 of their last 5 games against Stoke while losing one and drawing the remaining.

On current form, Stoke hold the edge, though given their inconsistency, this season, they can expect a hard-fought encounter against very physical rivals in Bolton.

Stoke’s first eleven against Manchester United had Begovic, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Sanli, Wilson, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington and Jones. Fuller, Walters and Pennant featured as substitutes.

The following men comprised Bolton’s starting eleven against Wigan: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Knight, Cahill, Robinson, Moreno, Muamba, Davies, Taylor, Davies and Elmander. Blake and Petrov played as substitutes.