Birmingham vs Huddersfield Predictions

• Fewer than three goals were scored in four of Huddersfield’s last five Championship away games.
• Fewer than three goals were scored in four of Birmingham City’s last seven home league contests.
• Fewer than three goals were scored in the last three head-to-head meetings between these clubs.

Blues will bid to blank another of last season’s playoff participants

Birmingham’s defensive focus earned them a battling point at Luton last weekend and they will make it tough for another of last season’s playoff field when Huddersfield Town visit St Andrew’s on Friday.

The Blues restricted the Hatters to very few clear-cut chances in a 0-0 draw, using every tactic in the book to preserve their clean sheet. It’s unlikely new boss John Eustace will try to change too much even though they are at home to a Terriers side who were found to be badly wanting in their opening 1-0 home defeat to Burnley.

It really should have been more comfortable for the Clarets as they had 70 percent of the ball and all the time in the world to weave Vincent Kompany’s pretty patterns across the pitch. Town lacked the midfield bite provided by now-departed Lewis O’Brien or the defensive assurance of ex-loan star Levi Colwill – both of whom scored in their 2-0 win at St Andrew’s in February.

More than a week’s work for Schofield to revive squad

Even their set-piece execution was poor, so it’s going to take more than a week of training ground hard work for rookie boss Danny Schofield to get everything back to last season’s levels. Birmingham start favourites for the three points here, but they may not create enough to get their noses in front at any stage.

A preferred route to profit comes via the goal markets with each of the last three meetings between the clubs coming in under the 2.5 mark and little evidence from both of their opening contests that it will be beaten here.

Birmingham won’t dominate possession like Burnley did at John Smith’s Stadium and nor will they create as much in the final third, so it could take another very stout defensive showing from the hosts to pick up a point. A 0-0 draw is tentatively taken as the correct score fancy – but that is based entirely on Town’s insipid display against Burnley and ignores the fact they scored in eight of their last ten road trips last season.