Birmingham – Middlesbrough

Birmingham host a hungry Middlesbrough on Saturday, with the home side sitting ninth in the table on ten points from seven games – two wins, four draws and a single loss, and a slim +1 goal difference (10‑9). Middlesbrough arrive in the Midlands in a stronger position, fifth with thirteen points after four victories, one draw and one defeat, and a +4 margin (12‑8). The visitors will be looking to extend their recent run of success and close the gap to the playoff places, while Birmingham will hope to turn a series of stalemates into a crucial win to climb out of the lower half. Both teams have been involved in tightly contested matches this season, so the contest promises to be a battle of fine margins.