- Birmingham are hard to beat at home in the Championship this season
- Bristol City have been competitive on the road in the Championship
- Birmingham City have lost just three of their 21 home Championship fixtures, winning ten and drawing eight
Blues could stop Robins in their tracks
Birmingham City will be a hard nut for Bristol City to crack on Saturday when two well-organised Championship teams meet at St Andrew’s. The Blues sit 14th in the table with 57 points from 43 games, one point behind the Robins in 10th, and both teams have similar records in terms of wins and defeats this season.
Chris Davies has installed a disciplined and pragmatic 4-4-2 at St Andrews that is compact at the back and presses in the right places. They are not the most prolific of sides, having scored only 35 goals in 21 home fixtures, but their average of over 1.6 per game is still very respectable for the level.
Birmingham's recent home form is good with one win and one defeat in the last two games. Davies has his side well organised, pressing at the right times and counter-attacking with speed.
Bristol are a hard team to pin down
Marvin Ducksch remains their main threat, having bagged 10 Championship goals in 33 appearances this term, but Carlos Vicente has stepped up recently and he has 2 of Birmingham’s last 4 goals in the past five matches.
Bristol City are a solid side and it is no surprise that the Robins have remained in the play-off hunt this term, having accumulated 58 points in 43 games. But they are a work in progress under interim boss Roy Hodgson, who appears to have taken a step back from the high-pressing, high-tempo vertical game that Struber favoured for a more structured and cautious approach.
They are a tough nut to crack, too, so this has the look of a chess match on Saturday with Birmingham’s structure and organisation likely to frustrate Bristol’s efforts to unlock them down the flanks.
Blues are worth a punt at the home
The Blues are clearly the better side at home where they have lost just three of 21 home fixtures, winning 10 and drawing eight. Bristol City are unbeaten in two away games, with 1 win and 1 draw, but their overall road record is 8-6-7 in the Championship and they may not be able to hold out against Birmingham.
Scott Twine is a reliable goal threat for the visitors, having scored 11 times in 42 Championship games, and they have scored 23 goals in 21 away games, so they can be dangerous. But Birmingham City are a strong unit and their odds of 89/100 for the home win seem a bit low considering they haven’t won their last home game against the Bristol club, which could give the visitors an edge mentally.
Bristol City, who triumphed 1-0 when these clubs last met five months ago, have been solid on the road in the Championship, but Birmingham are a little bit better all-round and have home advantage to add to the mix. Davies’ side have been more consistent at the Second City ground and should edge out the better travellers.
