The Blues welcome Premier League bound Sheffield United to St. Andrews on bank holiday Monday with both teams looking to see out their respective campaigns on a high.
Neither team really has anything left to play for going into this clash, which is par for the course in many cases at this time of the season. In fact, apart from a fascinating final day scramble for the two remaining playoff places, which will involve as many as five teams, there is nothing for anyone to play for on Monday in the Championship. Burnley have been crowned champions, Sheffield United have secured the second automatic promotion spot, and Wigan, Blackpool and Reading have already been condemned to League One.
Nonetheless, the end-of-season complacency and lethargy brought on by having nothing left to play for can often provide the perfect setting for a party atmosphere and an entertaining game. When both teams are able to let loose, knowing there are no real consequences for defeat, and with most stadiums packed with fans looking to get the last few drops of football out of the season, you can sometimes see some crackers.
Granted, the hosts might not the best candidates for that. When they win, it's usually 1-0. When they lose, they rarely concede more than one or two. They have the fifth worst scoring record of the 24 teams in the division, and at least recently, have been somewhat assured at the back - not the best combination for a high-scoring affair.
If we're going to see John Eustace's team come out of their shell, we will have to rely on Sheffield United to make them. The Blades have the third best attacking record in the league, which is one of the reasons why they have so comfortably achieved promotion this season.
However, perhaps as a symptom of the complacency this squad must be experiencing, they tamely allowed Huddersfield to record a 1-0 win against them last time out, seemingly in a display of Yorkshire solidarity, as the result secured The Terriers survival in the division, while simultaneously sending Reading to League One.
Prior to that midweek loss, they had won seven of their last eight league games, losing only to dominant champions Burnley. Birmingham, on the other hand, have picked up just one win in their last six, recording a 1-0 scoreline away at Millwall.
Nonetheless, this is the kind of game where form goes out the window. Neither team has anything to play for with Birmingham safe but unable to achieve a particularly high finish, and Sheffield United guaranteed to finish second. That type of setup can sometimes lead to a high-scoring, fun encounter. Fans of both sides can only hope so.
Bad news on that front comes from the Birmingham City camp, where exciting winger Tadith Chong, on loan from Manchester United, will miss the final game of the season with a calf injury. The visitors will likely be without Ben Osborn and Rhian Brewster for this one.
Expert Insight: The Blades have the far better team on paper, and have been in better form of late and throughout the season. A cursory glance at the Championship table makes that abundantly clear. However, with nothing really to play for, and no player likely to risk getting injured throwing themselves into tackles and blocks, we could hopefully see an open, flowing game with a fair few goals.
Championship