English Championship: Game Week 3
Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
19th August 2023
Bristol City will welcome Birmingham City at Ashton Gate Stadium in Gameweek 3 of the English Championship. Both teams are unbeaten in the League. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?
Receive Your Welcome Bonus!Bristol City form
Bristol City secured their first win of the season in the second tier in an exciting match against Millwall, thanks to an unexpected goal from Matty James. James, who had previously scored only one goal in 75 appearances for the team, delighted the visiting supporters with his acrobatic winner in the 94th minute. Nigel Pearson's squad is now aiming to achieve consecutive victories for the first time in the Championship since September 2022, which demonstrates their inconsistent performance over the past year. In their most recent home game on August 9, Bristol City put on an impressive display, defeating Oxford United 5-1 in the EFL Cup, with Jason Knight scoring twice. Although there have been no new signings since July 11, when Knight joined the team, the recent sale of Alex Scott to Bournemouth for 22 million has raised expectations for some new arrivals before the summer transfer window closes.
Bristol City Predicted Lineup
O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; James, Williams, Knight; Mehmeti, Bell, Wells
Birmingham City form
Birmingham will travel to Ashton Gate this weekend following a remarkable victory against Leeds United last Saturday. Without key players, Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville, and Luis Sinisterra, Daniel Farke's Whites seemed more suited for the second tier, and Birmingham proved to be a formidable opponent. The match in the West Midlands was closely contested, but the deciding moment came in the final minutes when Daniel James fouled Ethan Laird in the penalty box, leading to Lukas Jutkiewicz scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot in added time. A capacity crowd of over 21,000, the largest since February 2020, witnessed an impressive performance by Birmingham against Leeds, and the fans are beginning to believe in the team's potential resurgence. In recent years, Birmingham has had success at Ashton Gate, winning three out of their last four matches against Bristol City. However, their visit in January resulted in a 4-2 loss.
Birmingham City Predicted Lineup
Ruddy; Laird, Sanderson, Long, Buchanan; Bielik, Sunjic; Bacuna, Anderson, Dembele; Hogan
Bristol City vs Birmingham City Expert Tips
After their last-minute victory at Millwall, Bristol City will enter their next match with a strong sense of confidence. However, the team's inconsistent performance in the past might hinder their ability to secure a maximum of points in this game. Similarly, Birmingham also achieved an impressive result recently and we predict that they will have what it takes to continue their unbeaten streak in the Championship for another week. Bet on the away side to achieve draw or win with under 2.5 goals.