The two Championship clubs that seemed to command more column inches than any other over the summer have their first league meeting in the second tier after coming up from League One together last season.

Both clubs are perhaps a bit short of their aims as things stand, so work needs to be done to improve on both sides.

If you're eyeing betting options we also have more Wrexham v Birmingham Betting Stats available.

📈 Wrexham v Birmingham Form & Tactics

Like many Championship teams at the beginning of this season, Wrexham have had a real mixed bag of results. Their draw on Tuesday night was their third of the season but does mean that they have lost only once in their last eight matches.

Their form at the Cae Ras is a concern though. No wins in four home games, and against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, QPR, and West Brom, on the whole not a bad set of fixtures, there needs to be a return to the fortress-like form at Y Cae Ras for Wrexham to achieve their goals for the season.

Wrexham have actually created the highest number of big chances in the league so far (24), and sit in the top six for xG generated and shots on target. The problem is that they are also worst in the league for xG against, so Parkinson will have to find a way to get the balance right here.

I was a Birmingham believer at the beginning of the season, their first couple of performances seemed very comfortable and capable against some of the big teams from pre-season markets, but for some reason it seems as though inertia has kicked in and progress has been slow.

Four defeats in six games in all competitions tells one part of the story, and although it was caused, in part, by Jack Robinson’s red card, the 0-3 defeat at Coventry last weekend, was a concern. The (very) late equaliser from Demarai Gray that prevented another defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday needs to work as a catalyst for improvement, but I fear it could be a shroud that is masking some deficiencies in Birmingham’s form.

📔 Wrexham v Birmingham Formation & Team News

Wrexham have stuck to a three at the back system in the Championship. This usually manifests as a 3-4-2-1 shape, but can sometimes also be a 3-4-3 depending on the match. Kieffer Moore has been deployed as the main centre forward, mainly for his skills in holding possession and being a nuisance for opposition defenders, but that allows the rest of the attacking unit to support around him. Josh Windass and Lewis O'Brien are having really good seasons in this system.

There are no changes expected to the Wrexham team as far as injuries are concerned. There could be some rotation with Nathan Broadhead having a strong case for inclusion, and the wing-backs could also be rotated for fatigue reasons.

Chris Davies is also trying to be consistent with how his team played in League One. Their philosophy is more possession and control based so the contrast in styles will mean that Birmingham are likely to see a lot of the ball here. The shape is usually a 4-2-3-1 with full backs providing the width, leaving a strong “box” of Christoph Klarer, Jack Robinson, Tomoki Iwata, and Paik/Tommy Doyle to control the centre of the pitch.

Jack Robinson is back in contention following his one match ban following that red card against Coventry. He is likely to come back in place of Eiran Cashin. Paik and Tommy Doyle will battle it out for a midfield place, it is between Lyndon Dykes and Kyogo for the #9 position, and Lewis Koumas could come back into the starting Xi as well.

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* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.