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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kick-off: 2000, 15/10/2021
Stadium: The Hawthorns
TV: Sky Sports
West Brom have had the international break to lick their wounds after losing their unbeaten record and will hope to get back to winning ways in Friday night’s Midlands derby.
Albion slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Stoke last time out but can return to the top of the Championship table, for the best part of 24 hours at least, with victory here.
Their visitors are in poor form and lost 4-0 at home to Albion in a pre-season friendly in August so a home win by more than one goal is our opening West Brom vs Birmingham prediction at 29/20.
The Baggies may have been beaten at Stoke but they are still the 9/4 joint-favourites in bwin’s Championship winner odds.
They will be keen to prove that result was only a blip, although it was certainly deserved, having been outplayed by Stoke for long periods.
Boss Valerien Ismael said: “We saw a lot of mistakes from our side and I think it is always a sign of tiredness.
“We didn’t match the performance we put in against Cardiff. We lost.
“We did not create enough chances and did not keep the ball in the danger areas. We hesitated a lot in many areas and that is the reason why the performance was average.
“There were too many mistakes and the performance was not good enough. We need to recover and prepare for the next game against Birmingham.”
There is a sense that the international break came at a good time for a squad which is having to adapt to playing at the intensity that Ismael demands of his teams.
A local derby in front of the television cameras should get them focused and they are unbeaten in the last eight meetings with Birmingham, winning five of those.
Karlan Grant is getting back to his best form, scoring three goals in two matches prior to the Stoke defeat, while Birmingham’s defence has been poor in recent weeks.
Looking at the West Brom vs Birmingham odds, 7/5 for Albion to score in both halves looks good value given that Blues have conceded in both halves in four of their last five games.
Birmingham made a promising start to the season with three wins and four clean sheets from their first six matches.
September’s 4-1 thrashing by Fulham proved a turning point though and their form has dipped dramatically since then.
A 0-0 draw with Preston is the only point they have managed in their last five matches and the four defeats they have suffered were by an aggregate score of 12-1.
After a 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest last time out, manager Lee Bowyer said: “When we’re in possession, for me, we looked too soft. We’re conceding the same goals every game and it’s something I’ve got to fix.
“In possession, again, I thought there was some great play. We’ve had like 18 shots, nine on target and we ain’t scored a goal. We just need a little break somewhere but you have to earn it.”
Birmingham have the strikers to cause teams problems but their poor defensive record in recent weeks means we’re backing a 3-1 home win at 11/1 as our final West Brom vs Birmingham prediction.
Additional stats
Last result:
Stoke 1-0 WEST BROM
BIRMINGHAM 0-3 Nottingham Forest
Head-to-head: West Brom 0-0 Birmingham, Birmingham 2-3 West Brom, West Brom 3-2 Birmingham, Birmingham 1-1 West Brom, Birmingham 1-2 West Brom, Birmingham 1-3 West Brom, West Brom 3-1 Birmingham
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