Lincoln City vs Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to instrumentality different immense scalp successful beforehand of their location faithful, Lincoln City invited Birmingham City to ProAmpac Stadium for a Championship lucifer connected Saturday afternoon.

The Imps enactment the last nail successful Nicky Hayen's Burnley coffin past weekend, whilst Blues suffered a memory-evoking nonaccomplishment astatine Cardiff City successful South Wales.

Match preview

Tipped by the bulk of supporters and pundits alike for an contiguous instrumentality to League One, Lincoln City person paid nary attraction to the pre-season script, posting a affirmative commencement to the 2026-27 campaign.

The Imps person coped admirably pursuing the summertime departures of erstwhile caput manager Michael Skubala and prima subordinate Jack Moylan, with Saturday's hosts enjoying a handsome location occurrence past weekend.

A superb brace from 2026 accomplishment Mikkel Ladefoged headlined a 4-1 battering of Burnley past clip out, with the struggling Clarets parting ways with Belgian caput manager Hayen successful the contiguous aftermath of the loss.

There is nary accidental of Lincoln repeating that instrumentality with Birmingham's Chris Davies connected Saturday. however, determination is information from the hosts to grounds back-to-back second-tier wins for lone the 2nd clip successful 65 years.

Rather surprisingly, the Imps person fared overmuch amended connected their travels truthful acold successful 2026-27, winning conscionable 1 of their opening six Championship matches (D2 L3) astatine Sincil Bank, conceding 13 goals on the way.

 Following 3 consecutive wins and cleanable sheets since returning from the September/October planetary break, Birmingham were brought backmost down to Earth by a 1-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Cardiff past Saturday.

In galore ways, it was a throwback to Blues' atrocious distant trips of 2025-26 - Davies's broadside failed to registry a changeable successful the opening 45 minutes and should person conceded much than conscionable Yousef Salech's winner.

As a result, determination volition beryllium a large inducement to enactment that South Wales disappointment by them this weekend, erstwhile Birmingham marque the travel to Lincoln for the archetypal clip since a 3-1 League One triumph successful October 2024.

Starting that triumph astatine Sincil Bank 2 years ago, Blues skipper Christoph Klarer has been a cornerstone of the club's on-field transformation, with the Austrian moving excellently alongside Phil Neumann this term.

Conceding conscionable 12 goals successful 12 Championship contests truthful far, Birmingham person the joint-best antiaircraft grounds successful the part and volition beryllium assured of keeping their newly-promoted hosts astatine bay this weekend.

Lincoln City Championship form:

Birmingham City Championship form:

Team News

A promotion-winner from this level with Luton Town successful 2023, Lincoln's Sonny Bradley is presently nursing a muscular injury.

Further reducing the options of the Imps successful defence, right-back Tendayi Darikwa has been sidelined since September owed to a genu issue.

Birmingham's wounded database is comparatively short, with Paik Seung-ho 1 of lone 2 missing players from their 25-man squad.

The different is first-choice striker August Priske, with caput manager Davies unsure whether the Dane volition beryllium acceptable for the travel to Sincil Bank.

There is simply a lawsuit for changes to the XI pursuing decision by Cardiff, with Patrick Roberts pushing to regenerate Carlos Vicente connected the close flank.

Lincoln City imaginable starting lineup:

Wickens; Coubis, Elerewe, Towler, Reach; Konak, McGrandles; Hackett, House, Jefferies; Ladefoged

Birmingham City imaginable starting lineup:

Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer, Cochrane; Iwata, Solis; Roberts, Bird, Millar; Stansfield

We say: Lincoln City 1-1 Birmingham City

Confidence volition beryllium coursing done the veins of Lincoln aft their triumph implicit Burnley past weekend.

That being said, Birmingham airs a overmuch sterner trial and should beryllium bully capable for a constituent connected Saturday afternoon.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.