STOKE-ON-TRENT, England (Dec. 26, 2025) (Interstat) — Stoke City and Preston North End opened their Championship seasons with a 0-0 draw Friday at bet365 Stadium.

The match failed to live up to its statistical projections, as Interstat’s pre-game forecast of a 1-1 result and a 60.4% win probability for the hosts proved inaccurate. Both sides now hold identical records of 0 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw in league play.

The contest was marked more by defensive diligence and disciplinary issues than attacking flair. Six players received yellow cards, with Stoke’s Pol Valentín Sancho shown the first booking in the 16th minute. Five others (Interstat) — Ben Wilmot, Alistair McCann, Róbert Boženík, Ben Gibson and Ben Pearson (Interstat) — were also cautioned in a physical affair that saw neither goalkeeper beaten.