The battle of American celebrity owners will be staged at the Racecourse Ground on Friday night when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham host Tom Brady’s Birmingham City in the English Championship.
Both sides escaped League One last season and have made unspectacular starts to the current campaign, Wrexham placed in 15th and Birmingham in 11th after eight matches. Both were held to draws midweek, the Red Dragons earning a point away at Leicester City and the Blues avoiding an embarrassing home defeat to struggling Sheffield Wednesday thanks to Demarai Gray’s 99th-minute equaliser.
Wrexham are now unbeaten in their last three matches and will be satisfied with a point from the King Power Stadium, but their home record leaves much to be desired. They are yet to taste victory at the Racecourse Ground in the Championship, drawing two and losing two of their four outings.
Birmingham are unbeaten at home but have been hugely underwhelming on the road. They have lost their last three away matches in the league without scoring, falling to Midlands sides Leicester, Coventry City and Stoke City. Chris Davies’ men have won just one of their last six fixtures and will be aiming to get back on track in Wales.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to an intriguing battle under the floodlights.
What Time Does Wrexham vs. Birmingham Kick Off?
- Location: Wrexham, Wales
- Stadium: Racecourse Ground
- Date: Friday, October 3
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: Robert Madley
Wrexham vs. Birmingham Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Wrexham: 1 win
- Birmingham: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Wrexham 1–1 Birmingham (Jan 23, 2025) - EFL League One
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Wrexham vs. Birmingham on TV, Live Stream
Wrexham Team News
Phil Parkinson will be without several injured stars for Birmingham’s visit, with Danny Ward, Oliver Rathbone, Jay Rodriguez, Andy Cannon and Liberato Cacace all currently in the treatment room.
Nathan Broadhead could come into the team after his equaliser at Leicester last time out, but he might be the only change from the starting lineup that managed a point at the King Power.
Kieffer Moore will be keen to continue his strong goalscoring start to life with Wrexham, the Wales international having netted five times in just nine appearances since his summer move.
Wrexham Predicted Lineup vs. Birmingham
Wrexham predicted lineup vs. Birmingham (3-4-2-1): Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Brunt; Kaboré, Dobson, Sheaf, Longman; Broadhead, O’Brien; Moore.
Birmingham Team News
Birmingham also have a handful of absentees, including Scott Wright, Keshi Anderson, Lee Buchanan and Willum Willumsson. Ethan Laird is a doubt at left back, but could recover from a hamstring injury in time for Friday’s game.
Jack Robinson will return from suspension and re-enter the lineup, while Paik Seung-ho could replace Tommy Doyle in the double pivot. Alexander Cochrane will continue at left back should Laird miss out.
Birmingham have struggled for goals this term, managing just seven in eight matches, and they will be reliant on top scorer Jay Stansfield to get past Wrexham.
Birmingham Predicted Lineup vs. Wrexham
Birmingham predicted lineup vs. Wrexham (4-2-3-1): Allsop; Osayi-Samuel, Klarer, Robinson, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik; Koumas, Stansfield, Gray; Furuhashi.
Wrexham vs. Birmingham Score Prediction
Friday’s battle will be one of fine margins, with Wrexham struggling at home and Birmingham disappointing on the road, but the superior scoring power of the Red Dragons could see them shade an incredibly tight affair and climb the table.
Wrexham have scored almost double the number Birmingham have in the Championship this season and their defensive record is not too dissimilar. The Welsh side have been far more clinical than their upcoming visitors and could punish the profligacy of Davies’s side.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wrexham vs. Birmingham: Preview, Prediction and Lineups.
