Preview: Birmingham City vs. Burton Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to determination disconnected into the third-tier sunset with 2025 connected the horizon, Birmingham City volition invited relegation-threatened Burton Albion to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park connected Boxing Day successful League One.

Blues delivered precocious connected the roadworthy past clip retired astatine a disruptive and stubborn Crawley Town, whilst the Brewers suffered a location decision to Exeter City connected the weekend.

Match preview

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After their daze 3-2 decision astatine bottommost nine Shrewsbury Town connected November 23, Birmingham caput manager Chris Davies promised his players that they could bask the entirety of Christmas Day with their families if 7 consecutive wins followed that sobering day successful Shropshire.

Five League One wins, 1 FA Cup occurrence and 1 EFL Trophy triumph later, Blues' star-studded formed volition bask December 25 successful the comfortableness of their ain homes, 1 time earlier they effort to widen their unbeaten grounds successful the Second City to 10 third-tier contests connected Boxing Day.

As was the lawsuit during the constrictive decision astatine Charlton Athletic successful aboriginal October, Birmingham struggled to woody with the assertive pressing of their opponents successful beforehand of the TV cameras connected Monday night, erstwhile a precocious Jay Stansfield extremity was required to spot disconnected Crawley.

Three points against the susceptible Red Devils moved Blues to the acme of the League One standings aft 2 months distant from apical spot, with the overwhelming rubric favourites present 1 constituent up of second-placed Wycombe Wanderers, who person played a crippled much than Davies's troops.

Nailing down the troublesome right-midfield spot successful the Birmingham XI implicit caller weeks, Keshi Anderson has been a astonishment leader for the Second City giants truthful acold successful 2024-25, with the erstwhile Blackpool attacker scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists crossed each competitions.

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With a daunting travel to Birmingham connected the Boxing Day agenda, Burton person endured a damaging December to date, a period that has already included an FA Cup exit to part-timers Tamworth, 4 defeats crossed each competitions and a superior alteration successful the managerial hotseat aft conscionable 4 months.

New caput manager Gary Bowyer has vowed to beryllium ruthless yet honorable successful his attack arsenic helium attempts to support the Brewers successful League One past the decision of the campaign, though the 53-year-old's tenure astatine the nine got disconnected to a losing commencement past clip retired astatine the Pirelli Stadium.

It appeared arsenic if Burton were heading towards lone their 3rd occurrence of the League One play erstwhile Billy Bodin opened the scoring against Exeter wrong 9 minutes, but goals either broadside of the half-time whistle from Josh Magennis and Millenic Alli sealed 3 points for the visiting Grecians.

Victorious successful 1 of their past six third-tier contests, the Brewers are presently occupying 23rd spot successful the League One standings up of a Boxing Day travel to the Second City, a highly-concerning 9 points down Northampton Town successful the comparative comfortableness of 20th place.

That being said, Burton volition gully assurance from the information that they person enjoyed an unexpected distant triumph already this period connected December 4, erstwhile Tom Hounsell's Brewers kept a purring Peterborough onslaught astatine bay and secured a 1-0 triumph courtesy of Mason Bennett's archetypal extremity of the term.

Birmingham City League One form:

Birmingham City signifier (all competitions):

Burton Albion League One form:

Burton Albion signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Picking up his 5th yellowish paper during Birmingham's 19th League One fixture of the word past clip out, Christoph Klarer is suspended for the sojourn of Burton.

As a result, Rangers loanee Ben Davies volition necessitate a caller spouse astatine centre-back, with skipper Krystian Bielik apt to determination crossed from the close broadside of the backmost four.

Such a improvement would let Ethan Laird to instrumentality to the XI, with the ex-Manchester United youngster utilizing his athleticism to large effect during a cameo astatine Broadfield Stadium connected Monday night.

Providing the assistance for Bodin's extremity versus Exeter, Elliot Watt should clasp his spot successful the Burton motor country for the travel to the Second City.

A prima for Crawley past term, Danilo Orsi had to settee for a spot connected the seat during Bowyer's archetypal game, though the striker could beryllium fixed the accidental to impressment from the commencement connected Boxing Day.

Birmingham City imaginable starting lineup:
Allsop; Laird, Bielik, Davies, Buchanan; Leonard, Paik, Anderson, Harris, Stansfield; May

We say: Birmingham City 3-0 Burton Albion

With a sold-out St Andrew's assemblage expecting a regular win, Birmingham should beryllium much than susceptible of breezing past the attentions of Burton.

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