Norwich vs Birmingham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-09-29 14:00.
So often a cool character, Norwich boss David Wagner couldn’t hide his dismay on what he labelled a “horrible afternoon” as his side went down 6-2 to Plymouth last weekend. Wagner was quick to apologise to the travelling Canaries contingent, who after seeing their side lose two in a row away from home in the Championship, will be glad to return to Carrow Road where they’ve won three of their last four (L1).
You’d back them to build upon that against Birmingham too, a side they haven’t lost against on home turf since 2002 (W8, D2 since). That includes a 3-1 success in last season’s corresponding fixture, forming part of Wagner’s solid managerial record against the Blues (W3, D3, L1), with Birmingham ironically the side he secured his first Championship managerial win against all the way back in 2015, with that also won by a two-goal margin!
Birmingham would like to think they’re a different animal now, but as they make the trip to East Anglia on the back of a five-match winless run in all competitions (D2, L3), that perhaps isn’t the case. A 0-0 draw against QPR was the latest in that line of disappointing results, as Birmingham failed to act upon boss John Eustace’s cry for them to be “more clinical” prior to that clash.
It’s hard to see Birmingham being more clinical here given their aforementioned dismal record, but even so, they’ll hope to at least stop the rot of having lost back-to-back away league games. Not since October 2021 have the Blues lost three successive Championship away games, and they may feel they can take heart they can keep it that way here from the fact they have drawn three of their four road trips to Wagner-managed sides 1-1.
Players to watch: Adam Idah netted a brace in Norwich’s defeat to Plymouth, securing his third and fourth league goals of the season, all of which have arrived after the 70th minute. Birmingham’s Jay Stansfield has been in the thick of the action for Birmingham across his last five league appearances, netting three second half goals and collecting two yellow cards.
Hot stat: Ahead of the round, only Southampton (12) have conceded more than Norwich’s ten first half Championship goals this season.