Birmingham vs Reading prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-12-15 20:00.
John Eustace will be hoping his Birmingham City side can build on the “positives” of their bore draw against Blackpool last week. The Blues managed the only shot on target during that 0-0 stalemate at Bloomfield Road, but their manager insists his side “deserved to win” as they made their return to competitive action after a four-week break for the FIFA World Cup.
That result means City have now lost just two of their last ten Championship games (W4, D4), establishing plenty of breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone in the process. Indeed, fans may even be dreaming of a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2011 after finishing the previous round five points adrift of the play-offs.
One of several teams standing between Birmingham and promotion is Reading, who travel to the West Midlands full of confidence after beating Coventry City 1-0 last Saturday. Manager Paul Ince described the victory as a “great return” after the World Cup break, especially as Amadou Salif Mbengue’s strike saw the Royals move back to within two points of the top six.
They will now be hoping to build on a 2-1 win at Hull in their last away match, a result which ended a run of five outings on the road without success (D1, L4). Such omens suggest they could make it back-to-back victories as well, as the last time they won two away league fixtures in a row (November 2021) included a 2-1 victory over Birmingham. Further asserting their credentials is a run of four wins from their last six trips to St Andrew’s (L2).
Players to watch: Birmingham captain Troy Deeney has lost three of his five home clashes with Reading (W1, D1), with both teams scoring in four of those games. Meanwhile, Lucas JoĂŁo was on target as the Royals beat the Blues 2-1 last season, but he has lost each of his other six meetings with the club.
Hot stat: Birmingham’s matches are averaging just 1.95 total goals per game – the joint-lowest in the Championship.