Looking to bounce back from a Boxing Day horror show in the Second City, Birmingham City will welcome an in-form Bristol City side to St Andrew's on Friday night in the Championship.
Blues produced a limp display last time out and Midlands rivals Stoke City took full advantage, while the Robins were in the festive spirit in Hertfordshire, handsomely beating Watford on their own patch.
Match preview
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Following improved displays against Cardiff City, Enzo Maresca's Leicester City and managerless Plymouth Argyle, Birmingham have taken a huge step back after a sobering 3-1 defeat to West Midlands rivals Stoke at St Andrew's on Boxing Day, handing new Potters head coach Steven Schumacher his maiden success since moving from the Pilgrims earlier in the month.
For a team who are attempting to produce front-footed, no-fear football, Blues were second to everything on the Second City turf as the Potters controlled proceedings, and Jay Stansfield's seventh goal of the season was a mere consolation following strikes from Jordan Thompson, Lynden Gooch and Andre Vidigal.
Wayne Rooney has collected just nine points in 13 Championship contests since being waltzed in to replace John Eustace during October's international break, with Birmingham earning fewer points than any other side in the division starting at the 38-year-old's first match in charge on October 21 - a 1-0 defeat at Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough.
Blues' steady start under Eustace - coupled with 22nd-placed Queens Park Rangers currently enduring a three-match losing streak - means that Rooney's confidence-sapped men still have a relatively-comfortable seven-point gap over the relegation zone, but Friday's hosts cannot wait until new signings arrive in January to begin picking up regular results.
The only obvious positive of Boxing Day for Birmingham was the substitute performance of 17-year-old Romelle Donovan, whose mazy run from the right handed fellow attacker Stansfield an easy tap-in on the 69th minute, and the youngster could be in line for his full Championship debut against the Robins.
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Those of a Robins persuasion in the West Country will be full of cheer during this festive run-up to New Year's Day after Bristol City extended their second-tier winning run to three matches with a 4-1 smashing of Valerien Ismael's promotion-chasing Watford at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day.
Cameron Pring's second goal in over 90 games had the visitors in Hertfordshire ahead before Watford's Wesley Hoedt netted at the wrong end to double City's advantage, and despite the hosts reducing the deficit briefly through Giorgi Chakvetadze, the Robins were able to pull away once again, with Mark Sykes and Andreas Weimann getting on the scoresheet.
During only his second month in charge, new City boss Liam Manning is already helping his men break records, with Bristol City's recent successes over Sunderland, Liam Rosenior's Hull City and the aforementioned Hornets meaning that they have won three-straight Championship matches for the first time since November 2020.
Although no one in the Bristol City camp is reportedly taking serious notice of the league standings at this moment, nine points from a possible nine since December 16 has taken Friday's visitors to within striking distance of the Championship's top six, sitting just a point behind Michael Beale's Black Cats.
The last three matches between the Blues and the Robins at St Andrew's have ended in 3-0 scorelines, and it was the hosts who came out on top during the 2022-23 edition of the fixture, with an Auston Trusty brace followed by a strike from Dion Sanderson securing a convincing win for Eustace's side.
Team News
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Considering that Rooney claimed that he could have taken all 11 of his players off at half time, Birmingham are expected to make changes where possible to the side which disappointed against Stoke, meaning youngster Donovan and Lukas Jutkiewicz could play.
Keshi Anderson and Tyler Roberts were handed minutes in the second period on Boxing Day following lengthy spells out injured, and the attacking pair will feel like new signings for Blues in the coming matches.
With Ethan Laird and Cody Drameh still in the medical room, Emanuel Aiwu will have to go again at right-back, with captain Sanderson and Marc Roberts forming the centre-back partnership.
Lee Buchanan missed the clash with the Potters after picking up at head injury at Plymouth, and there have been no major updates on the availability of the former Werder Bremen man ahead of Friday.
Unlike his managerial counterpart, Manning will look to avoid making too many changes from his Boxing Day side, but ex-Leicester City midfielder Matty James could return to the side to partner Taylor Gardner-Hickman, although Joe Williams produced a magnificent display at Vicarage Road.
Long-term absentees for the Robins include Robert Atkinson and Ayman Benarous, with both failing to feature for their side in the 2023-24 campaign so far due to cruciate ligament injuries.
Centre-back Kal Naismith suffered a hamstring strain at the start of December and is not expected back until the middle of January, so summer arrival Rob Dickie and Zak Vyner will sit at the heart of the visitors' defence.
Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Ruddy; Aiwu, Roberts, Sanderson, Longelo; Sunjic, James, Bacuna; Donovan, Roberts, Stansfield
Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Sykes, Gardner-Hickman, Williams, Mehmeti; Weimann, Conway
We say: Birmingham City 1-2 Bristol City
Birmingham's defence has been the leakiest in the Championship since Rooney took charge, and with injuries meaning that they cannot immediately change the personnel in their backline, it could be another scary watch for Bluenoses on Friday.
Bristol City will be full of confidence as they head to St Andrew's following their Vicarage Road romp, and although we do not believe that the scoreline will be as convincing, we expect the Robins to earn maximum points once again.
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Top tip
Carter White
