Birmingham Host Brighton

Birmingham City welcome Sami Hyypia`s Brighton to St Andrews today in the Sky Bet Championship. Both teams will feel they have reason to be walking away from this one with all three points. Kick off 15:00.

Brighton have play-off ambitions and could need to win away games such as these if they are hoping to get there come the end of the season. They need players like Craig Mackail-Smith and Chris O`Grady to lead the way this season.

Lee Clark will be hoping his side can consolidate their position in the Championship after a nervous end to last season. Birmingham had a busy summer and a confident pre season. Now Clark prepares for his first home game after an away defeat to Middlesbrough may have deflated the pre season optimism.

Vital Quotes:

Lee Clark has said that he wants his team to put pressure on Brighton and to go out and express themselves in the game.

I’m a manager who wants them to express themselves and if we go down, we go down fighting. If we go down, we go down by being productive, trying to make chances and scoring goals. I believe we’ve got lots of attacking presence now so we need to use that more.’

Sami Hyypia has said he saw a professional performance from his team on Tuesday and he wants to see the team become more dangerous against Blues.

“I`m expecting a similar kind of tempo that Sheffield Wednesday played in the first game. Every game is a battle and there will be a lot of end-to-end football.

“That`s what I expect tomorrow. There will be a lot of passes behind our back four and a lot of second balls to fight for.”

Birmingham City Team News:

Birmingham are without Matt Green who remains a long term absentee. Gavin Gunning will now join the list of prolonged injuries, the 23 year old suffered knee ligament damage in Tuesdays game with Cambridge that will keep him side lined for six months. New Boy David Davis is set to start his first league game since moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Player to watch: David Cotterill

David Cotterill had a good game in the week and that could see him gain a place in this weeks team.

A unpredictable winger that has caused other teams problems every time he has played. The more Brighton try and stop Cotterill the more he could help find space for Donaldson in-behind.

I think Blues will be trying to get in-behind a lot in today’s game and Cotterill will be key to that.

Brighton and Hove Albion Team News:

Brighton are without Andrew Crofts after receiving a straight red against Sheffield Wednesday. Will Buckley is also a loss after securing a £2.5m move to Sunderland. Brighton do have new boy Joao Carlos Teixeira in midfield, an accomplished defensive minded midfielder on paper.

Player to watch: Craig Makail-Smith

Brighton are keen to uphold the form of recent year. With a new manager and some key departures it is up to the remaining players to hold up the results.

Makail-Smith has been a key player in the past for Brighton and should be again if he remains injury free.

Match Facts & Stats

? Brighton won the last meeting 1-0 at the Amex Stadium in January.
? Birmingham have won only one of the last six meetings. Their only win since 1996 was 1-0 at the Amex Stadium in September 2012.
? Brighton are unbeaten in the last three meetings at St Andrew’s, winning 1-0 there last season. Birmingham’s last home win was 2-0 in the League Cup in September 1996.

Ref Watch:

Mark Brown is in charge for this one.

His last Blues game was a 3-0 away defeat at the hands of Burnley.

He produces three cards pretty often so place your bets!

Match Prediction:

My prediction today is expect a score draw and hope for a 2-1 win.

I believe Blues have what it takes at home to score past anyone. The pace and dynamics of this team going forward in a 4-4-2 system may work well this season.

Birmingham however are making mistakes in defence and this places a doubt on whether we can score more than the other team.

I feel once Davis gets booked in midfield it will also mute out combative centre and could let Brighton back into the game should it happen.

Brighton are a good side, but seem to be at a cross-roads this season, will they fade away or regroup and go again? I guess we will find out. A good outfit never the less and a tough game.

Next Fixtures:

19 Aug Sky Bet Championship – Ipswich Town K>O 19:45 H