Birmingham City vs Leicester City

St Andrew’s is the venue as Birmingham City and Leicester City go head-to-head in an exciting Championship showdown.

Under-pressure Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney urged his players not to get carried away following a 1-0 win at Cardiff City last week as they remain stranded in the lower reaches despite halting a three-game winless league run (D1, L2). Back on home turf, the ex-Manchester United icon can draw confidence from Birmingham’s near-flawless Championship record at St Andrew’s (W5, D4, L1). But Rooney’s men should be cautiously optimistic about their prospects in this match-up after blowing hot and cold across their last four home league outings (W1, D2, L1). Adding to this sentiment, since a 2-0 home win in 2011, the ‘Blues ‘have gone winless in six subsequent meetings with Leicester in all competitions (D2, L4), highlighting the size of the task at hand.

On the other hand, visiting Leicester City are making strides in the second tier as they bid to secure a swift top-flight return, commencing this round at the top of the standings, albeit only one point clear of closest followers Ipswich Town. However, Enzo Maresca’s men head into proceedings amidst a purple patch, having won their last three league games, netting 2+ goals on each occasion. As the division’s best traveling side, the ‘Foxes’ have racked up an eye-catching 25 out of the 30 available points on the road (W8, D1, L1). It’s still insufficient to tuck them into a comfort zone, considering their last three league travels have yielded mixed results (W1, D1, L1). Lapses of concentration in the latter stages saw Leicester concede beyond the 80th minute in all three matches.