Follow live coverage as Birmingham City face Oxford United in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will newly-promoted Birmingham City and Wrexham, with a host of hopefuls eyeing up the £200m jackpot that comes with promotion to the top flight. At the other end of the table, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City hope to stay up amid crises.
Follow updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Birmingham City FC 1 - 0 Oxford United FC
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
17:00Match ends, Birmingham City 1, Oxford United 0.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:57Second Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Oxford United 0.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:57Attempt blocked. Stanley Mills (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:56Attempt missed. Lyndon Dykes (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Tommy Doyle.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:55Attempt missed. Mark Harris (Oxford United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Stanley Mills with a cross.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:53Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:53Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:54Attempt missed. Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:52Keshi Anderson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:52Substitution, Birmingham City. Lyndon Dykes replaces Jay Stansfield.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:52Substitution, Oxford United. Stanley Mills replaces Siriki Dembélé.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:52Substitution, Birmingham City. Keshi Anderson replaces Demarai Gray.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:52Foul by Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:47Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Brodie Spencer.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:47Attempt blocked. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jay Stansfield.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:42Attempt missed. Przemyslaw Placheta (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Matt Phillips with a headed pass.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:40Substitution, Oxford United. Matt Phillips replaces Hidde ter Avest.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:40Substitution, Oxford United. Will Vaulks replaces Brian De Keersmaecker.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:38Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Ethan Laird.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:38Foul by Tommy Doyle (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:36Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:36Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:36Substitution, Oxford United. Mark Harris replaces Will Lankshear.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:35Substitution, Oxford United. Przemyslaw Placheta replaces Tyler Goodrham.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:35Attempt missed. Tommy Doyle (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:32Attempt blocked. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tommy Doyle.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:28Tommy Doyle (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:24Substitution, Birmingham City. Tommy Doyle replaces Kyogo Furuhashi.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:22Offside, Oxford United. Greg Leigh is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:21Offside, Birmingham City. Jay Stansfield is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:20Offside, Oxford United. Will Lankshear is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:20Attempt missed. Tyler Goodrham (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Siriki Dembélé following a fast break.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:20Foul by Phil Neumann (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:17Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:16Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:15Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:14Foul by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:11Foul by Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
16:08Second Half begins Birmingham City 1, Oxford United 0.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:51First Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Oxford United 0.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:50Offside, Oxford United. Will Lankshear is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:49Attempt blocked. Willum Willumsson (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jay Stansfield.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:48Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:48Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Brodie Spencer.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:47Phil Neumann (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:45Attempt missed. Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Paik Seung-Ho with a headed pass.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:43Goal! Birmingham City 1, Oxford United 0. Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ethan Laird.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:40Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Siriki Dembélé.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:40Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:40Foul by Kyogo Furuhashi (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:40Foul by Willum Willumsson (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:37Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Michal Helik.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:35Handball by Will Lankshear (Oxford United).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:32Offside, Birmingham City. Jay Stansfield is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:32Attempt missed. Kyogo Furuhashi (Birmingham City) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:31Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:27Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:27Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:27Delay in match because of an injury Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:26Foul by Phil Neumann (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:22Foul by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:22Foul by Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:19Attempt missed. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:19Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:19Offside, Oxford United. Will Lankshear is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:19Attempt saved. Cameron Brannagan (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City). Assisted by Siriki Dembélé.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:17Attempt missed. Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Christoph Klarer.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:15Attempt missed. Kyogo Furuhashi (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Willum Willumsson with a through ball.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:15Will Lankshear (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:12Foul by Tyler Goodrham (Oxford United).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:08Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:58Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:09Attempt missed. Kyogo Furuhashi (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Paik Seung-Ho.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:06Attempt missed. Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Willum Willumsson.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:06Offside, Oxford United. Will Lankshear is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:05Attempt missed. Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross following a set piece situation.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:05Foul by Siriki Dembélé (Oxford United).
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:03Attempt missed. Tyler Goodrham (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Will Lankshear.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
15:02First Half begins.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Birmingham City vs Oxford United
13:00Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
We will have all the latest scores, goals and updates plus analysis and reaction throughout the game here. This season we're bringing you live coverage from every match in the Premier League, WSL, Championship, Carabao Cup and FA Cup from the third round onwards - as well as the best from the Champions League and beyond in Europe.
