Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield

Wednesday have to be careful now that they've got their noses in front. The goals they conceded last Saturday at Huddersfield were a comedy of errors.

If Birmingham are going to get back in this, Wednesday have to make them earn it.

Birmingham win another corner down their right and the ball is eventually neatly played into Andre Dozzell by Krystian Bielik.

He doesn't make the contact he wants with his low curled effort and James Beadle make a comfortable save in the home goal.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield Wednesday are leading this crucial game but it will take more than just a victory tonight to sway many of the Wednesday faithful into changing their mind about the club's ownership.

Owls fans have been protesting against their owner Dejphon Chansiri, with thousands of cards which say 'out of touch, out of time, Dejphon Chansiri just sell up and go' being held up by the Hillsborough faithful.

Birmingham win a corner down their right as they look to hit straight back, but the home side stand up to it.

Moments later Jordan James goes down under a challenge from Akin Famewo in the box but the referee isn't interested.

It's seven years since Sheffield Wednesday last beat Birmingham at Hillsborough.

As has been the case in this fixture in recent years it is the away side who are on top in this one so far.

Siriki Dembele wriggles free down the Blues left and his cross into the box is hacked to safety.

The pitch at Hillsborough is not in the best condition but it's playing ok so far.

This is a really big game for both of these struggling sides and they wont want it to be settled by a bobble that goes against them.

Jon Newsome
Former Owls defender on BBC Radio Sheffield

Danny Rohl wants Wednesday on the front foot, pressing high.

The million dollar question is about Barry Bannan: what a servant he's been for the football club but, like all players, sometimes he'll play in the areas he wants to play in.

He's the one who's going to unlock the door for you and play that slide-rule pass. I want him playing in the opponents' half.

If we can get another body into the middle of the park, that releases him. We want him up there, creating things for us.

Bailey Cadamarteri is raw but stick him on the end of things and his conversation rate is really good.

Image source, Rex Features

First real chance of the evening goes the way of the visitors.

Jordan James does well to progress the ball down the Blues left and the ball is eventually cut back for the unmarked Juninho Bacuna 18 yards out.

The ex-Huddersfield man sends his effort over the bar.

Let-off for the Owls.

Gillingham have hit back almost immediately, Oli Hawkins heading home a leveller to peg Notts County back in League Two.

There's been an early goal at Meadow Lane in tonight's League Two match, and it's hosts Notts County who lead fellow promotion-chasers Gillingham.

It's a 17th assist of the season for Jodi Jones, who tees up Dan Crowley for a 20-yard strike that goes in off the post.

VERY early booking for Owls skipper Barry Bannan for scything down Siriki Dembele on the halfway line.

Long time to play on a booking.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield

This is a must-win game for Sheffield Wednesday. This is their only chance, really, because if they can get it back down to five points, you would expect Southampton to beat Huddersfield on Saturday.

The situation will, essentially, then be what it was last weekend, and Wednesday might feel they can have a go.

There are a few things going on at the moment. The momentum has completely gone. The feel-good factor and the energy has gone.

The three things that have evaporated that and sucked the life out of this club are the results, the season ticket situation and the transfer window.

If the club can't rally tonight and get that momentum and energy back, Sheffield Wednesday are going to be back in League One next year. Where they go from there, who knows?

We're under way at Hillsborough.

Absolutely massive game at the bottom of the Championship.

Ian Clarkson
Ex-Birmingham captain on BBC Radio WM

Image source, Rex Features

This feels like the most pivotal game of the season for Birmingham.

Tony Mowbray's come in and done a good job of steadying the ship. We need to win five more games, realistically, to stay up.

If you can win two of your next three - against Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn, preferably - you'll keep the teams beneath you well behind and keep Blackburn in it.

Image source, Getty Images

Eight points adrift of safety, without a win in their past four Championship games and fans protesting against the club's ownership - things are looking bleak for Sheffield Wednesday's hopes of staying in the second tier.

However, including tonight, five of their next six games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Do you think they can avoid relegation?

Hit the thumbs up for yes and thumbs down for no.

We also welcome your more considered thoughts on the plights of these two clubs and any other EFL matters via either X, WhatsApp or text.

Image source, Rex Features

Last Saturday proved to be a chastening afternoon for the two big Sheffield teams.

First Sheffield Wednesday were thumped 4-0 at fellow strugglers Huddersfield to fall eight points behind the Terriers.

It was even worse for cross-city rivals Sheffield United though, as the Blades fell to a 5-0 shellacking by Aston Villa in the evening kick-off to remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.

Just one season on from both winning promotion in the same season the Steel City big-hitters look like they could both go down in the same campaign for only the second time in their history.

The first time? 2020-21.

Ouch.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has really shaken things up, with five changes from the team thumped 4-0 at Huddersfield. Akin Famewo, Marvin Johnson, Mo Diaby, Ian Poveda and Bailey Cadamarteri all come into the team.

Sheff Wed XI: Beadle, Valentin, Bernard, Famewo, Johnson, M Diaby, Bannan, Poveda, Ugbo, Gassama, Cadamarteri.

Subs: Charles, Siqueira, Palmer, Ihiekwe, Pedersen, Vaulks, Wilks, Musaba, Smith.

Birmingham make three changes from the team that started the narrow defeat by West Brom last Saturday. Scott Hogan, Juninho Bacuna and Jordan James all come into the starting 11.

Birmingham XI: Etheridge, Laird, Bielik, Long, Buchanan, Dozzell, Sunjic, Bacuna, James, Dembele, Hogan.

Subs: Mayo, M Roberts, Drameh, Gardner, Paik, Miyoshi, Anderson, T Roberts, Stansfield.

It's just got under way in the other match in the EFL this evening.

Notts County looked to be in with a chance of securing successive promotions after a strong start to the campaign but a run of four games without a win means they start the night nine points off third-placed Barrow.

Indeed, tonight's visitors Gillingham will leapfrog them into seventh in League Two if they can record a victory at Meadow Lane tonight.

Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield

Image source, Rex Features

It was really interesting that it was released yesterday that 10,000 season tickets have been sold. That got a lot of attention: people going "10,000 - great." My only thought was, how many more people are going to buy now? Ten thousand sales in total isn't that impressive for a club of Wednesday's size.

I'm interested to see how the protests are received tonight. When there was a protest outside the directors' entrance, I went down and took a video, as you would in any situation of protest at one of our football clubs.

Most of the reaction to that video was other Sheffield Wednesday fans using some language that I can't repeat and others saying "morons".

I think there are now more people who are ready to join some kind of protest. If cards are held up when the players come out and before kick-off, it'll be interesting to see how many there are and how they're received.

There were loads of boos when tennis balls were thrown on the pitch. Is it going to be like that again? Is it going to show that the fanbase is split?