West Brom v Birmingham
Saturday March 13, 12:30
Sky Sports
West Brom surrender top spot
Slaven Bilic believes last season’s play-off heartbreak is acting as a motivator as his West Brom players fight for automatic promotion this time around. The Croatian coach says the Baggies are using the disappointment of last term as encouragement for the final push with Albion sitting inside the automatic promotion places with a kind cushion over third-place.
Last time out, West Brom frustratingly drew 0-0 with Swansea, surrendering their position at the Championship summit in the process. Albion had the lions’ share of possession, but failed to really hurt the Swans, though Jake Livermore passed up the Baggies’ best opportunity in the closing stages when he spurned an opening in the penalty area.
Bilic admitted his team didn’t merit maximum points from their first goalless game of the campaign, although the return of Romaine Sawyers was a welcome boost for a side that were turned over by Wigan in their previous encounter. Matt Phillips will return to the squad on Saturday having sat out altogether against Swansea after his partner gave birth.
Birmingham’s unbeaten run ended
Birmingham‘s lingering play-off aspirations were put to bed last weekend as the Blues were made to pay for failing to turn a dominant first half hour into an insurmountable position as they lost at home for the first time since New Year’s Day. City were ahead through Scott Hogan‘s seventh goal in eight league games against Reading before falling to a 3-1 reverse.
Hogan put Birmingham ahead inside the opening 10 minutes as the Blues made an electric start at St Andrew’s. However, a failure to add to their opener during an excellent first 45 minutes performance eventually provided decisive as the Royals produced a valiant second-half fight back with three goals of their own without reply to pocket top honours.
Blues boss Pep Clotet made four changes to the team, with in-demand Jude Bellingham, Dan Crowley, Marc Roberts, Marc Roberts and Gary Gardner coming back into the XI but was upset his side weren’t awarded a second half penalty that he felt could have changed the course of contest. The visitors will again be without influential Jeremie Bela here.
Albion expected to take top honours
West Brom have enjoyed recent encounters with Birmingham as the Baggies have picked up victories in five of their last seven unbeaten match-ups between the West Midlands pair since the start of 2007. Albion have netted at least three goals against the Blues in three of their past four league meetings, including a 3-2 success at St Andrew’s back in December.
Only QPR (37) have scored more home goals this season than West Brom‘s [1.66] tally of 36 with the Baggies doing the majority of damage against the division’s elite. Slaven Bilic’s boys have often struggled to exert their dominance against league’s lesser lights but Albion have W6-D5-L0 against clubs in 16th and above, scoring 26 times in those 11 showdowns.
Birmingham [5.80] suffered their first league loss in 10 (W4-D6-L1) last weekend although the Blues remain unbeaten on the road since Christmas (W3-D4-L0). In fact, City have suffered a solitary reverse on their travels since November’s international break (W4-D6-L1) and only five clubs – all based inside the top-seven – boast more away wins in 2019/20.
West Brom have fired back-to-back blanks for the first time under Slaven Bilic’s watch but the Baggies remain a real force in the final-third and will expect to keep Birmingham’s defence busy on Saturday. Nevertheless, Albion have kept a divisional-low two home shutouts in the Championship, offering encouragement to the visiting Blues.
Birmingham have bagged in all bar three of their past 21 Championship contests, as well as in nine of their most recent 11 away days and therefore Both Teams To Score comes into the equation at kind 1.75 quotes. However, I’ll bolster the odds on offer to 3.30 by adding West Brom to win with the hosts extras class and firepower probably prevailing.
