Birmingham City will host Blackburn Rovers in the Championship on Tuesday. After losing their most recent match at Sheffield Wednesday, the Blues were forced into an unusual relegation struggle, while Rovers triumphed over Stoke City at Ewood Park.
Preview (Birmingham City vs. Blackburn Rovers)
Birmingham’s losing streak in all competitions reached three games on Friday night as they lost 2-0 to Danny Rohl’s relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday. Goals from Cardiff City loanee Ike Ugbo either side of the halftime break gave the Hillsborough side all the points they needed. The Blues have failed to score in their games against Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion, and the previously mentioned Owls, despite having over 55 shots. Players like Scott Hogan and Juninho Bacuna have had good opportunities to put an end to their team’s goal-scoring woes recently.
The Second City club is currently in 19th place, just three points above Marti Cifuentes’s team in the drop zone. To avoid relegation, the Blues have historically relied on magical moments. This may need to continue until the club’s new American ownership asserts its financial might. Promotion to the Premier League as the ultimate goal. On Tuesday, the hosts had amassed 21 points from 14 home games in the league. With the assistance of interim manager Damien Johnson, Blackburn halted their eight-game losing streak. They defeated fellow struggling team Stoke City 3-1. Rovers did all of the damage within an incredible 37 minutes of the first half. With a swift brace, Tyrhys Dolan increased his league goal total from two to four. Sammie Szmodics, the division’s top scorer, scored his 17th goal in 28 second-tier games.
On October 6, with Birmingham in sixth position, Tuesday’s hosts decided to fire Eustace. It launched Wayne Rooney’s disastrous tenure at the Blues. Following four months of multiple connections to open Championship positions, the 44-year-old has now found a new managerial home at Ewood Park. Rovers have climbed to 17th in the second-tier rankings, seven points clear of 22nd-place QPR. They have played one more game than the former Premier League champions.
Team News
Jay Stansfield is anticipated to make a comeback to the Birmingham starting lineup on Tuesday night. He began the Sheffield Wednesday match on the bench due to exhaustion. The South Korean international is vying for his official debut. He gave a rare standout performance at Hillsborough on a somber evening. Due to John Ruddy’s injury, Neil Etheridge will continue to play between the sticks. George Hall, Dion Sanderson, and Alfie Chang are the other players who are out. Harry Pickering, a defender for Blackburn who has missed his team’s last three games due to a hamstring issue, is expected to remain sidelined until early March. The lack of Hayden Carter further limits Eustace’s choices at the back.
Birmingham City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
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