2019-20 Sky Bet Championship: Week 31 – Friday

Bristol City welcome Birmingham City to Aston Gate in this weekend’s opening Sky Bet Championship clash. 

A win will temporarily take Bristol City up to third whilst Birmingham can climb to 14th if they take victory. 

 

Team news

Embed from Getty Images

Filip Benkovic is in contention to make his Bristol City debut, having joined from Leicester on loan on Deadline Day. 

Markus Henriksen could also feature after joining from Championship rivals – Hull on loan until end of season.

Tomas Kalas (fitness) is unlikely to feature whilst Jack Hunt and Andreas Weimann (both knock) are doubts.

Birmingham have no fresh injury concerns but Pep Clotet is set to recall several regulars, who were rested in Tuesday’s penalty shoot-out win over Coventry in their FA Cup Fourth Round replay. 

 

Form

Bristol City enter this game off the back of five wins from their last six league matches (W5, L1), keeping clean sheets in all five victories but have kept just two clean sheets in their last five home outings (W2, L3). 

Birmingham come into this match unbeaten in their last four (W2, D2) but haven’t produced a clean sheet in any of their last 17 league games (W4, D6, L7). 

 

Stat Attack

• Bristol City have taken seven points from their last five league meetings against Birmingham City (W2, D1, L2). 
• Two of Birmingham’s last three goals at Aston Gate have come before half-time. 
• Both teams have scored in four of their last five league meetings. 

 

Prediction

Both teams are coming into this game in decent form but I am struggling to see Birmingham winning this, given that they have played three and half hours of football already in the past week and have a poor defensive record. 

Bristol City meanwhile are starting to hit their best stride at the right time of this season so I am expecting them to come out and produce an attacking performance, even if their home form isn’t the strongest. 

I therefore can see both teams getting at least one goal here but the Robins surely have enough in them to record a comfortable win. 

Prediction: Bristol City 3-1 Birmingham City

Result: Bristol City 1-3 Birmingham City