Saturday’s Championship clash between Southampton and Birmingham at St. Mary’s Stadium is shaping up to be a thrilling encounter. The Saints are favorites to take all three points, but the Blues have shown they can give their hosts a run for their money.

Southampton’s home form has been solid, and they will look to build on that against a Birmingham side that has struggled on the road. The Blues have shown flashes of brilliance, but consistency has been their Achilles’ heel.

The two sides have a recent history, that suggests this will be a closely contested match. In their last meeting, a 2014-03-02, the two teams played out a seven goal thriller. The Saints came from behind to win 4-3.

Tactically, Southampton will look to exploit Birmingham’s weakness on the counter with swift breaks. On the other hand, the visitors will aim to sit deep and look for opportunities on the break.

Prediction wise, the data points to a home win. The Saints are projected to score over 3.5 goals while Birmingham is expected to get less than 2.5. With the double chance, also favoring Southampton or a draw, an exciting match is on the cards.

Will the Saints take advantage of their home form or can Birmingham pull off a surprise? Kickoff is at 3 pm GMT and the tension will be palpable in what promises to be a humdinger of a match.