Birmingham are still without a home win, while Middlesbrough are among the leaders: prediction for Birmingham vs Middlesbrough
The eighth-round Championship clash between Birmingham and Middlesbrough will take place on September 19 at St Andrew's. The hosts sit tenth and have lost just one of their seven league matches, while the visitors have picked up 14 points and are among the tournament's leaders.
Birmingham: a steady start and problems at home
Chris Davies' side came from behind to beat Derby 2-1 in the previous round. After conceding, Birmingham responded with goals from Carlos Vicente and Park Seung-ho, while Liam Millar provided two assists.
The hosts have suffered just one defeat in seven rounds, but they are still without a win on home soil — three draws and one defeat in all competitions. Their home record remains the team's biggest area for improvement, even though they have made a fairly confident start to the season overall.
Middlesbrough: five league matches unbeaten
Kim Hellberg's side head into the clash on a five-match unbeaten run in the Championship — three wins and two draws. In the previous round, Middlesbrough came back from 0-2 down against Millwall to finish the match 2-2.
The visitors also boast an excellent head-to-head record: Middlesbrough have won their last seven matches against Birmingham. At St Andrew's, the team have won their last five league meetings.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Birmingham have lost just one of their opening seven Championship matches.
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last five rounds — three wins and two draws.
- The visitors have won their last seven head-to-head meetings and their last five league matches at Birmingham.
The hosts can stop their opponents' winning run: prediction for Birmingham vs Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough look more consistent and have a huge advantage in recent head-to-head meetings, but Birmingham rarely lose and have performed well against strong opponents.
The hosts are still without a home win, but they are capable of putting up a strong fight against one of the leaders. The match could be closely contested without either side gaining a clear advantage, making “Under 3.0 goals” at 1.67 the better option.
