H2H: Preston North End vs Birmingham City – Prediction (Championship

H2H: Preston v Birmingham – Comparison.

Preston’s Sean Maguire scored both home and away in these teams’ H2Hs in 2019, and has won in each of his last four H2H appearances. Birmingham need goals and whilst Scott Hogan awaits his first goal this season, he scored a career hat-trick in his first appearance against Preston. Preston’s last five league H2Hs at Deepdale have averaged 5.20 yellow cards with one dismissal (W3, D2).

Preston Insights.

Losing 2-0 last time out, Preston North End have lost ‘to-nil’ in half of their ten matches in all competitions this season (W4, D1), but have claimed the joint-second most average points in the league (1.00) when conceding first (W2, L4). Just as 60.0% of those ten matches produced under 2.5 match goals, manager Alex Neil has won three straight H2Hs ‘to-nil’ with each producing two goals or less. Deepdale is still awaiting a maiden win thus far as the ‘Lilywhites’ haven’t scored a single goal here in five matches (including EFL Cup: L5), with each loss arriving without reply. Just one of the seven goals they’ve conceded at home arrived in the first-half with four coming as the first goal between the 45th-60th minute.

Birmingham Insights.

Breaking a six-game Championship winless run with a 2-1 victory last time out – their first match to register over 2.5 match goals this term (all competitions) – each of Birmingham City’s competitive wins or losses so far have resulted by a one-goal margin (W2, L3). This trend reflects manager Aitor Karanka’s last career 1-0 matchup against Preston (W2, D1, L2). Whilst winless in their last ten league away matches (D6, L4), the ‘Blues’ have lost just one league awayday this season and similar to Preston, none of such awaydays have produced first-half goals. Just one of these ten awaydays produced over 2.5 match goals and Birmingham have netted an average 0.30 away goals in this period, failing to score in 80.0% of such games.