Birmingham v Derby: home control meets away steel in mid-table push | OneFootball

Birmingham City host Derby County in the Championship on Friday, 26 December 2025 at St Andrew's, with two points separating them and a chance to make ground in the mid-table pack.

Birmingham City and Derby County meet with recent encounters favouring the visitors, who have generally held the upper hand in this fixture.

Form points to a tight game. Birmingham have one win in five, losing at Sheffield United last time out but taking points at home against Watford and Charlton in that run. Derby are unbeaten in three after a 3-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday and draws with Millwall and Portsmouth, following two earlier defeats.

Team selection could prove crucial. For Birmingham, suspended midfielder Thomas Doyle is out, while Ethan Laird, Lee Buchanan, Alexander William Cochrane, Scott Wright and goalkeeper James Beadle are sidelined. Keshi Anderson is also injured. For Derby, forward Carlton Morris, midfielder Lewis Travis, Owen Beck and David Ozoh remain out.

On the pitch, Birmingham average 55% possession with 80.83% pass accuracy and could look to control the ball. Derby play with 42% possession, win plenty in the air and deliver accurately from wide areas with 22.34% cross accuracy, so set pieces and crosses may offer a route forward. Jay Stansfield has eight league goals for Birmingham, while Joe Ward has supplied five assists for Derby. Morris has scored 10 this season but is unavailable.

A home win would take Birmingham to 32 points and could lift them from 14th. Victory for the Rams would move them to 34 points from 12th and could edge them closer to the play-off picture.