- Away form: Birmingham have gone unbeaten in 2 of their 2 Championship 2026/2027 away games (1 win, 1 draw), conceding 0.50 goals per game.
- Home form: Derby are winless in 2 of their 2 Championship 2026/2027 home games (1 draw, 1 defeat), averaging 2.50 goals conceded per game.
- Key player: Birmingham's Demarai Gray has scored 2 goals and 2 of Birmingham's 6 goals in that time.
A tale of two very average teams
Derby County
Derby County are 20th in the Championship 2026/2027 table after taking 4 points from their 5 games and are already fighting at the bottom. Derby's last 5 games have seen them take 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 defeats, and John Eustace's side have been very average in terms of performance.
Eustace has set up his Derby side to be an organised, if uninspiring, team. They have been tough to break down in the last few games and have looked to counterattack whenever they could.
Birmingham City
Birmingham City are 10th and have accumulated 7 points from their 5 so far and are currently sitting above The Rams in the table. Birmingham's recent performances have been frustrating for Chris Davies' Blues, they have gone 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 defeat in their last 5.
Their last 3 outings saw them win 1-2 away at Wrexham, before a pair of draws at home to Southampton and away to Wolverhampton. Davies has had his Blues play a possession-based 4-3-3 that has pressed high, made fast breaks and been a threat from set-pieces this season.
Birmingham have been more impressive so far and should be able to nick this one.
Birmingham have the edge
Birmingham are a better side than Derby and should be coming into this game with a bit more confidence given that the Blues are sitting above The Rams in the early-season table. Derby are also winless in 2 of their 2 home games this season, conceding 2.50 goals a game at home.
Birmingham will be a tough nut to crack for the hosts at Pride Park on Saturday given that Davies' side have been solid defensively away from home this campaign (0.50 goals per away game), and we're taking a slight edge for the Blues in this one. Under 2.5 goals looks a smart wager at 1.83, however, as Birmingham are unlikely to run away with this, and Derby are equally unlikely to give it away.
- Sammie Szmodics has been a reliable finisher for Derby in early 2026/2027 (2 goals in 4 games) while Bobby Clark has been a spark of creativity for Eustace's men (2 assists in 5 games).
- Birmingham's sharpest finisher this term has been Phil Neumann, who has 2 goals in 5.
