B Team Preview: Saints vs Birmingham City
Southampton’s B team return home for the first time in November, as they continue their Premier League Cup campaign against Birmingham City on Monday.
Saints vs Birmingham City
Premier League Cup
Staplewood Campus
Monday 21st November, 19:00 GMT
Southampton play their second Premier League Cup group game as they host Birmingham City at Staplewood Campus on Monday night.
The fixture, which was initially scheduled to be played at Birmingham's St. Andrew's Stadium, has been reversed as Saints return to the Staplewood Campus for the first time since their 8-1 win over Middlesbrough in October.
Dave Horseman's youngsters come into Monday's contest after an impressive 2-1 win over Everton in their first Group F match.
Jimmy-Jay Morgan scored another brace - his second in as many games - as Saints produced a second half comeback after being a goal behind at the break.
Birmingham are a Category 2 academy and play in the Premier League Professional Development League, where they are currently sat mid-table of the 10-team division after 13 games.
They head into Monday's contest after a 2-0 loss at home against Cardiff City as a goal in each half confirmed their fifth league defeat of the season on Monday afternoon.
The Blues were unbeaten in four matches prior to that, however, with their last defeat coming in their opening game of Group F.
Saints are joint-top of Group F with Colchester United, as both sides started their cup campaign with a 2-1 victory.
Birmingham were beaten on the road against Colchester in their group opener in October, with both Category 2 academies joining Saints and Everton in the battle for progression to the knockout stages.
"We've got a really good group, Birmingham beat us twice last season and have a good coach in Steve [Spooner]." said Horseman, ahead of his side's next test.
"To win early [against Everton] was important and now we've got to make sure we back it up with another good performance.
"These cup games are the closest we get to a must-win, one-off game to replicate the pressure there is to perform at the highest level and help their individual development as fast as possible."
