Preview: Stockport County vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

1 week ago 14

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's League One clash betwixt Stockport County and Birmingham City, including predictions, squad quality and imaginable lineups.

Looking to commencement the caller calendar twelvemonth with maximum points, promotion contenders Stockport County and Birmingham City volition clash successful League One connected New Year's Day.

The Hatters recorded a hard-fought gully astatine Rotherham United during their last contention of 2024, whilst Blues were held by Blackpool successful the Second City.

Match preview

Louie Barry of Stockport observe his injury-time equalizer against Barnsley, connected September 28, 2024 © Imago

Since the constrictive 2-1 occurrence implicit free-scoring Peterborough United connected December 20, Stockport County person collected conscionable the azygous constituent crossed 2 tricky League One distant contests, losing astatine rubric hopefuls Huddersfield Town connected Boxing Day earlier a gully astatine Rotherham connected the weekend.

Coming towards the extremity of his clip astatine Edgeley Park, Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry bagged the first-half equaliser which secured a constituent for the Hatters successful Yorkshire connected Sunday afternoon, with the 21-year-old acceptable to play 1 last clip earlier heading backmost to the Premier League side.

Winning conscionable 1 of their past 3 third-tier contests, Stockport's ascent towards the precise apical of the League One standings has stalled somewhat implicit the festive schedule, with Dave Challinor's men presently occupying 5th spot, 11 points down Wrexham successful second.

Triumphing connected 7 occasions crossed 11 matches astatine Edgeley Park truthful acold during 2024-25, lone Wrexham, Reading, Birmingham and Huddersfield tin boast amended location records than Stockport successful League One, with Wednesday's hosts earning 23 points successful beforehand of their ain supporters.

Birmingham City caput manager Chris Davies successful September 2024. © Imago

After 8 consecutive victories crossed each competitions, a spell which included a six-game winning tally successful League One, rubric favourites Birmingham City dropped points for the archetypal clip since precocious November connected Sunday, erstwhile Blackpool managed to support a £30m squad of endowment astatine bay.

In truth, it was the visiting Seasiders who had the amended chances to snatch each 3 points successful the Second City, wherever Blues goalkeeper Ryan Allsop was busier than accustomed arsenic helium denied clear-cut efforts from Tangarines brace Ashley Fletcher and Scotsman Kyle Joseph.

Still unbeaten crossed their past 7 third-tier contests, Birmingham are sitting beauteous astatine the precise acme of the League One rankings up of their travel to Stockport connected Wednesday afternoon, 1 constituent up of closest rivals Wycombe Wanderers and 2 points up of third-placed Wrexham.

Invincible truthful acold astatine their Second City base, Blues person been breachable astatine times connected their third-tier travels this season, with Chris Davies's men losing astatine Charlton Athletic and Shrewsbury Town, though Birmingham inactive person the third-best distant grounds successful the division.

Stockport County League One form:

Stockport County signifier (all competitions):

Birmingham City League One form:

Birmingham City signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Birmingham City's Keshi Anderson connected October 19, 2024 © Imago

Stockport volition bask the attacking talents of Barry for the last clip connected Wednesday, with the Villa loanee hoping to container a hat-trick against his boyhood club's arch rivals.

Providing the assistance for their lone extremity astatine Rotherham connected the weekend, 30-year-old Ibou Touray is acceptable to clasp his spot successful the Hatters' XI astatine wing-back.

Birmingham suffered a large wounded stroke during the opening minutes of the Blackpool stalemate, with Lee Buchanan stretchered disconnected owed to a nasty-looking genu issue.

Alex Cochrane is apt to beryllium restored to the matchday squad and broadside connected Wednesday arsenic a result, with Ethan Laird perchance coming into the right-back spot.

Emil Hansson's injury-riddled run continued connected the weekend, with the Swedish winger forced disconnected with a muscular strain successful the archetypal half.

Stockport County imaginable starting lineup:
Hinchliffe; Connolly, Horsfall, Pye; Knoyle, Norwood, Bailey, Touray; Diamond, Barry, Wootton

Birmingham City imaginable starting lineup:
Allsopp; Laird, Bielik, Davies, Cochrane; Paik, Iwata; Willumsson, Leonard, Stansfield; May

SM words greenish background

We say: Stockport County 1-1 Birmingham City

Taking to the transportation for the past clip with Barry starring the line, Stockport volition beryllium raring to origin an upset to kick-start their 2025 schedule.

Birmingham are astir astatine the extremity of a relentless play of 5 games successful 13 days, and we consciousness that a mounting wounded database could interaction their quality to cod maximum points astatine Edgeley Park.

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

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