With an identical points tally from their 20 matches so far in the Championship, Birmingham City and Queens Park Rangers are comfortably mid-table. Their respective seasons could go either way so this is probably a pivotal fixture and both arrive off the back of a welcome victory at the weekend.
Birmingham City Form and Team News
Pep Clotet was finally confirmed as Birmingham’s permanent manager last week and his team celebrated with a 3-2 victory against Reading at the Madejski on Saturday, the first time all season that they had scored more than twice in the same game.
That was a first victory in six for the Blues but they had drawn their previous three matches with the same 1-1 scoreline.
City have done well to rack up a four-match unbeaten run as their squad has been decimated by injuries. Clotet was already without Maikel Kieftenbeld, Cheick Keita, Jonathan Grounds, Gary Gardner, David Stockdale and Marc Roberts and Jake Clarke-Salter and Dan Crowley have now been added to the casualty list. Wes Harding and Fran Villalba could replace Clarke-Salter and Crowley for the visit of QPR as alternatives are thin on the ground.
But only Fulham and Preston North End have managed to win at St Andrews this season so home fans will be confident that their side can get something out of a team that is on a par with the hosts if the current league table is taken at face value. Josh McEachran will again anchor City’s midfield but their line-up will again be unfamiliar with a lack of experience an obvious weakness.
Championship Betting at BetVictor
Queens Park Rangers Form and Team News
Like Birmingham, QPR have been finding victories hard to come by in recent weeks.
They took advantage of Preston’s own injury woes to end an eight-game winless snap at Loftus Road on Saturday, however, to arrest their slide. Rangers have already won four times on the road this season, including at Hull and Sheffield Wednesday, so are more than capable.
But that shut-out against the Lilywhites was the first time this season that they hadn’t conceded so even an under-strength Birmingham will fancy their chances of causing problems for Mark Warburton’s team.
There is certainly plenty of firepower among the Rangers’ ranks. Jordan Hugill and Nakhi Wells are proven goalscorers in the second tier and England U21 international Ebere Eze has come to the fore in recent weeks. The latter scored both goals on Saturday and was also on target in the draw at Derby seven days earlier.
A clean sheet will certainly have helped the confidence of QPR’s young goalkeeper Joe Lumley but his defence continues to look inflexible and prone to panic, which shouldn’t be the case considering Geoff Cameron rarely ignores his defensive duties as the midfield anchor.
Birmingham City vs Queens Park Rangers Live Stats & Betting Odds
Birmingham City vs Queens Park Rangers Head-to-Heads
QPR have not lost any of their last three Championship matches against Birmingham City at St Andrews but the Blues did win by the odd goal in seven at Loftus Road in their last meeting in February.
Birmingham City vs Queens Park Rangers Current Best Odds
Birmingham City 7/5, Draw 5/2, Queens Park Rangers 11/5 (Odds correct at 2.00pm December 10)
Birmingham City vs Queens Park Rangers Predictions
Birmingham will field a much-weakened side but have a decent record at St Andrews, having lost just the two so far this season and only by one goal against promotion-chasing sides. Rangers’ line-up will be stronger on paper but their inability to keep the back door shut will hamper them until it’s resolved.
This has all the makings of a stalemate (5/2 with Betvictor). A 1-1 draw is 11/2 with the same firm.
