Match Pack: Birmingham vs Saints
It's time for the final matchday of 2025, as Saints travel to Birmingham City in the Sky Bet Championship. Get set for the fixture with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Birmingham City vs Southampton
Sky Bet Championship
St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park
Monday 29th December, 8.15pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Matthew Donohue
Assistants: Jacob Graham, Andrew Dallison
Fourth official: James Bell
THE KITS
It's another outing in the traditional colours for Southampton, wearing red and white stripes with black shorts and white socks.
TICKETS
2,006 Saints fans will be making the trip to the Midlands on Monday as part of another sold out away end.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those unable to make the trip Monday night's fixture will be on Sky Sports Football.
Elsewhere, select fans worldwide can catch the action via our in-house service Saints Play:
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
After what's been a turbulent year, Saints will be looking to end 2025 in a positive manner as they make the trip up to the Midlands on Monday.
Boxing Day's defeat at Oxford will have upped the desire to do this even more, with Head Coach Tonda Eckert demanding his side "make the ground up" on those above them. Doing so with a win could see Saints move back into the top ten, where a further three points would separate them and the play-off spots.
TEAM NEWS
Birmingham City: The biggest fear for Blue's boss Chris Davies will be the injury picked up by Demari Gray on Boxing Day, who had to be replaced on 16 minutes. Monday's hosts will also be without captain and former Saint Christoph Klarer after his stoppage time red card during the draw with Derby.
Saints: Despite defeat on Boxing Day Eckert's side appeared to get through proceedings unscathed. They'll also have Elias Jelert to call on if needed after the trip to Oxford came just too soon for him on his return from injury.
THE MANAGERS
Chris Davies: "We've had a bit of everything [this season]. We've been very competitive throughout this season, we've always been in games. We've shown what we've been capable of and generally been very strong at home, I think only lost once at home but need to be better away.
"We know we need to be better in the second half of the season, so I'm optimistic about that. It was always going to be a challenge, it's about how we stick together. The fans know this is a team which gives everything.
Tonda Eckert: "We just need to make sure that we play these games to our strength. We are now halfway through the season, and we are nowhere near the amount of points that we need if we want to play for something. The positive thing is that we play again in three days, and we need to make sure we start the second half of the season well.
"It's going to be a completley different game. 8.15 [kick-off], different stadium, different atmosphere. So we'll go again, we'll go strong. We need to recover quickly from [Oxford] and we need to make up ground."
ONES TO WATCH
Jay Stansfield: The Blues are winless in their last five matches, coinciding with Stansfield failing to register a goal or assist in each of those outings.
Claiming an assist in Birmingham's last win at the start of December, a positive performance from Stansfield could see a turnaroud in fortunes for the hosts.
Leo Scienza: Claiming an assist on Boxing Day, Saints will once agin look to Scienza to be a creative spark in attack.
Taken off after 56 minutes at Oxford with the busy festive period in mind, the winger should have plenty of energy by the time 8.15pm arrives on Monday night.
TOP PERFORMERS
Birmingham City
Goals:
Stansfield 9
Gray 5
Seung-ho 4
Assists:
Gray 5
Cochrane 4
Doyle, Stansfield 3
Saints
Goals:
Armstrong 11
Azaz 6
Manning, Harwood-Bellis 4
Assists:
Armstrong 4
Manning, Azaz, Fellows, Scienza 3
Harwood-Bellis, Fraser 2
FORM GUIDE
Birmingham City
Derby (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Robinson)
Sheff United (a) SBC: L 0-3
Charlton (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Klarer)
QPR (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Roberts)
Saints (a) SBC: L 1-3 (Gray)
Saints
Oxford (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Harwood-Bellis)
Coventry (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Wood)
Norwich (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Manning)
West Brom (h) SBC: W 3-2 (Scienza, Armstrong 2)
Birmingham (h) SBC: W 3-1 (Azaz, Armstrong 2)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 51
Birmingham wins: 17
Draws: 11
Saints wins: 23
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Dec 2025: Saints 3-1 Birmingham Championship (Azaz, Armstrong 2)
Mar 2024: Birmingham 3-4 Saints Championship (Armstrong, Brooks, Adams, Aribo)
Oct 2023: Saints 3-1 Birmingham Championship (Harwood-Bellis, Alcaraz, Armstrong)
Feb 2012: Birmingham 0-0 Saints Championship
Sep 2011: Saints 4-1 Birmingham Championship (Lambert pen, Guly, Lallana, Chaplow)
KEEP UP TO DATE
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A limited number of Men's Half Season Tickets are now available. Don't miss a minute of the action across the second half of the season, beginning with the visit of Hull City to St Mary's in January, with prices starting from around £21 per match.
