Leicester vs Birmingham predictions: Foxes can add to Blues' woes

Tom Hill
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Enzo Maresca will hope that the win over Norwich is the catalyst for a strong finish to the season
Enzo Maresca will hope that the win over Norwich is the catalyst for a strong finish to the season

- Leicester have only lost four times at home all season
- Birmingham are winless in seven away games in all competitions
- Recommended bet:
Leicester to win and Under 3.5 goals

Leicester ended their three-match winless run in all competitions when beating Norwich last week, and the Foxes should use that as a springboard to overcome troubled Birmingham.

The Foxes have surrendered their lead at the top of the Championship table, with Enzo Maresca's side having lost four of their last seven games in the second tier.

Last week's success over Norwich has at least steadied the ship, but Birmingham are still in choppy waters despite their 1-0 win over Preston on Monday.

Team news

Maresca cannot call upon the services of Tom Cannon due to a leg injury, and he is joined in the Foxes' treatment room by Kasey McAteer (hamstring) and Ben Nelson (leg).

Birmingham interim boss Gary Rowett is without striker Lukas Jutkiewicz due to a hamstring problem, while Alfie Chang remains the club's only long-term injury problem with a torn ACL.

Both Alex Pritchard and Marc Roberts have missed training with knocks in recent days and will need to pass a fitness test in order to make the matchday squad.

The stats

Gary Rowett lost his first away game back at the Birmingham helm at QPR but did bounce back against Preston
Gary Rowett lost his first away game back at the Birmingham helm at QPR but did bounce back against Preston

Leicester have lost two of their last three Championship matches at the King Power Stadium, but they have only lost four games in all competitions in front of their own supporters this season.

The Foxes have scored in 17 of their 19 games at home in the league but have conceded in seven of their last 10 on home soil.

Birmingham have lost six of their last eight games in the Championship, but they did return to winning ways on Monday at the expense of Preston.

The Blues were only beaten by a single goal in five of those six defeats.

Prediction

Leicester's win against Norwich will have given everyone within the club a lift, and they can now start pushing for automatic promotion once again.

They also have a game in hand over their rivals at the top, so their fate is still in their own hands at this stage of the campaign.

Birmingham are in trouble just two points above the bottom three and while they are expected to lose on Saturday, it is unlikely to be a heavy defeat.

Five of Birmingham's last six games have contained fewer than three goals, with Rowett continuing to make them hard to break down. He will employ similar tactics on Saturday, although a defeat still looks highly likely at the King Power Stadium.

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ChampionshipLeicester CityBirmingham