Birmingham vs Newcastle prediction: Star strikers to shine at St Andrew’s

Birmingham are having a stunning League 1 season and will be full of confidence heading into Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round fixture against Newcastle (5.45pm, BBC One).

The glamour tie represents a free shot for Chris Davies’ side, who are currently four points clear atop the division having played two games fewer than their closest rivals Wycombe.

The Blues beat Lincoln 2-1 to reach this stage of the competition, while a strong Newcastle side eventually managed to topple Bromley 3-1 after conceding the first goal.

The FA Cup could form part of a cup double for the Magpies, who are already planning on trip to Wembley after reaching the EFL Cup final on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal.

Eddie Howe’s side will need to refocus for the trip to St. Andrew’s, which is likely to be bouncing as the in-form Blues aim to elevate their season even further with a major Premier League scalp.

It’s no secret Jay Stansfield has ability that far outweighs the competition in League 1. The division’s record signing has backed up the hype with 14 goals in 21 matches, averaging a goal every 116 minutes.

Both he and Alfie May are more than equipped to give the visitors issues, particularly as Newcastle might be suffering after a busy schedule.

Betting sites make Stansfield 23/10 to score at any point in the match. That’s an offer that is sure to catch the attention of many punters, especially when taking into account the unpredictability of the FA Cup and Birmingham playing in front of their home crowd.

Howe’s team aren’t prolific clean sheet keepers and have consistently struggled with defensive issues this season. Stansfield should fancy his chances of scoring, even if Newcastle often prove difficult to beat in cup competitions under Howe’s management.

Birmingham vs Newcastle prediction 1: Stansfield to score anytime - 23/10 William Hill

It would be wrong to speak about excellent strikers in this match and ignore Alexander Isak. The Swedish sensation has 17 goals in a Premier League season that is likely to catapult him to a massive summer move.

His pace, close control and outright finishing ability continues to prove devastating and Birmingham have got their work cut out to stop him hitting his stride. Football betting sites have priced him up at 10/3 to score the first goal, which seems like an extremely good number considering how consistently he’s on the scoresheet – providing he starts.

He came within a whisker of bagging the first goal in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday, having a goal ruled out in a tight offside call before his effort smacked against the post and dropped for Jacob Murphy to tap in the rebound to open the scoring against Arsenal.

Isak wasn’t used in the last round but will likely start the game up front against a defence that has only conceded 19 goals in 27 league matches this campaign. That shouldn’t put prospective bettors off; whether it’s Birmingham or Barcelona, Isak is lethal enough to make an impact at any moment.

Birmingham vs Newcastle prediction 2: Isak first goal scorer - 10/3 bet365

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