Summary

  • Championship: Birmingham City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion

  • Birmingham complete the league double over West Brom for the first time in 24 years

  • Hannibal puts Blues in front with free-kick which caught out Albion keeper Button

  • Bielik heads in Blues' second from a corner

  • Birmingham climb to 16th in table with second successive victory

  • West Brom remain sixth but could slip out of play-off places over the weekend

  • Get involved at #bbcefl, WhatsApp 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

Live Reporting

Michael Beardmore

  1. Spot the difference

    Birmingham v West Brom (20:00 GMT)

    Championship table on October 25, 2022 when Carlos Corberan was announced as new West Bromwich Albion manager with the Baggies in the bottom threeGetty Images

    It's fair to say that when Carlos Corberan took over the West Bromwich Albion reins from Steve Bruce on 25 October last year, not even the most wildly optimistic Baggies fan would have expected the spectacular turnaround that has ensued.

    At that stage, avoiding relegation to the third tier seemed the top priority after a run of just one win in 11 games had plunged the Throstles into the Championship's bottom three.

    However, the Spaniard has since overseen 10 wins in his 13 league matches in charge as Albion have rocketed up the table into the play-off places - and avoiding defeat tonight would lift them a spot further to fifth.

    Current Championship table with Carlos Corberan's West Bromwich Albion sixthGetty Images

  2. Team news - Albion unchanged, three in for Blues

    Birmingham v West Brom (20:00 GMT)

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    Birmingham City make three changes from their 4-3 win at Swansea as Lukas Jutkiewicz is rewarded with a start for his goalscoring display off the bench. He replaces Reda Khadra in the starting XI.

    Hannibal Mejbri and Juninho Bacuna are the other two players brought back in by boss John Eustace.

    West Bromwich Albion are completely unchanged from the side that won 1-0 at home to Coventry exactly a week ago. Even the bench is the same. Why fix it if ain't broke, eh?

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  3. Friday on their minds

    Birmingham v West Brom (20:00 GMT)

    Ged Scott
    BBC Sport at St Andrew's

    Another Friday night. Another West Bromwich Albion live TV appearance.

    The Baggies’ third in the last four Fridays – and only at half-time tonight will they have reached the halfway point of their current run of five Friday billings in 13 league games. That’s almost busier than Graham Norton on a Friday night.

    So far they have had one bad Friday – being outplayed at Burnley. And one good Friday, last week’s narrow but ‘never really in doubt’ 1-0 home win over Coventry City.

    Scott Hogan's fourth career hat-trick won Birmingham City the three points at The Hawthorns in SeptemberGetty Images

    Scott Hogan's fourth career hat-trick won Birmingham City the three points at The Hawthorns in September

    But they now face a Birmingham City who have had a fair bit of Friday night fun themselves this season.

    Five times before Christmas they pulled the Friday card – and they won three of them, against Huddersfield Town, QPR (when they were good) and Reading. And it was under the lights at The Hawthorns that Scott Hogan's hat-trick proved too much for then boss Steve Bruce's Baggies in mid-September.

  4. Time for a ding-dong derby

    Birmingham v West Brom (20:00 GMT)

    St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium, home of Birmingham City.Getty Images

    Something special about a Friday game under the floodlights.

    And doubly special when it's a derby too.

    Resurgent West Bromwich Albion are bidding to boost a Championship play-off push that looked mission impossible a couple of months ago, while hosts Birmingham City are looking to move further clear of danger.

    Welcome to our coverage of tonight's West Midlands derby - who will claim the local bragging rights? Stick with us right here to find out.