Norwich vs Birmingham prediction, odds and how to watch

Ethan Galbraith scored inside 13 minutes to give Stoke City a 1-0 victory over Norwich, ending a run of five consecutive Championship defeats despite Norwich controlling 71 per cent of possession and creating the better chances across the ninety.

Southampton created four big chances and missed three of them as Birmingham dug in for a 1-1 Championship draw, with Keven Schlotterbeck's header cancelled out by August Priske's second-half equaliser.

Brentford produced a thoroughly controlled performance to beat Birmingham 6-1 in the Carabao Cup, with the contest effectively settled by half-time as the visitors' structural dominance and aerial threat proved far too much for the hosts to handle.

Norwich took the points at Cardiff City Stadium with a 25th-minute headed goal, but the possession numbers and shot map raise real questions about how each side set up for this Carabao Cup tie.

Norwich arrive at Carrow Road on Saturday having lost both of their opening Championship fixtures and conceded five goals in the process. Bolton Wanderers, sitting ninth after two games, offer a structured test that could expose exactly what is going wrong for the Canaries at the back.

Birmingham arrive at St Andrew's having drawn their opening two Championship games, while Middlesbrough carry an xG profile that suggests they are creating far more than their results show. Saturday's fixture has the makings of a tight, tactical contest where structure will decide everything.

Middlesbrough host a Norwich side carrying four long-term absentees and no points from their opening two Championship games. The structure of both defences will decide this one.

Derby carry the weight of a difficult opening to their Championship campaign into a home fixture against a Birmingham side that has quietly built a platform of defensive solidity. The tactical questions here are more interesting than the table positions suggest.