- Birmingham have conceded the opener in eight of their 16 home league games
- Southampton have scored the first goal in 14 of their 17 away Championship matches
- Recommended Bet: Southampton to score the first goal

Relegation battlers Birmingham have better form than promotion-chasing Southampton ahead of Saturday's crucial clash at St Andrew's.

The Blues had managed back-to-back wins under Tony Mowbray before he was forced to step away to undergo treatment for an illness with assistant boss Mark Venus taking charge for last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Ipswich.

Southampton will seek to snap a three-game losing streak that has seen them slip from second to fourth in the Championship table.

Russell Martin's men have been missing too many chances and it was again their undoing in Wednesday's 3-0 FA Cup defeat to a young Liverpool side at Anfield.

Team news

Krystian Bielik is available again after groin injury and could displace captain Dion Sanderson again at centre-back for the Blues.

Elsewhere, Lee Buchanan could be recalled at left-back, with Ethan Laird potentially reverting to his natural right-back position and Cody Drameh dropping out of the side.

And, although Alex Pritchard has trained this week as he steps up his recovery from a calf strain, this game has probably come to soon for him to be recalled to the starting line-up.

As for Southampton, Martin is expected to recall the first-team stars he rested against Liverpool in midweek with midfielder Will Smallbone, defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and forward Adam Armstrong all returning to the side.

But right-back Kyle Walker-Peters is a major doubt after he was forced off during the 3-0 defeat at Anfield, handing an opportunity to James Bree to earn a rare league start.

The stats

Birmingham have won five of their last six home league games against the Saints, who are looking for their first league double over the Blues since the 1985-86 top-flight campaign.

Mowbray's men have won their last two home league games, but have not won three in a row at St Andrew's since March and April 2021 under Lee Bowyer.

Saints' leading marksman Armstrong has hit six goals in his last four Championship outings against the Blues and his seven goals in total against them in the competition means they are the opponent against whom he has scored the most goals.

Only Leicester (15) have opened the scoring on the road more times than Southampton (14) this season.

Prediction

Southampton's status as automatic promotion favourites is long gone now, but they remain a consistent force away from home and could stop Birmingham's home momentum in its tracks on Saturday.

Martin's side should be relatively fresh after he rested eight in midweek and they have shown an appetite to get after opponents on their patch from the first whistle this season.

Southampton have scored early goals in three of their last four away matches and taken the lead in 14 of their 17 Championship road games this term.

The Blues, meanwhile, have fallen behind in four of their last five league games and trailed at the half in three of those.

Back Southampton to score the first goal at 4/7 with LiveScore Bet.

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