Leicester City — Birmingham City : Match Preview and Prediction for August 29,2025

Current Form and Season Start

Leicester City is still struggling to find their rhythm at the start of the season, displaying highly inconsistent performances.

Championship Ambitions and Early Struggles

After their relegation from the Premier League, the Foxes naturally aim for an immediate return. However, their football quality has been far from impressive. In the opening match, they narrowly secured a home victory against Sheffield Wednesday (2-1), overcoming a 0-1 deficit at halftime. The second game saw them fail to even snatch a single point, losing 1-2 away to Preston. A similar outcome was anticipated in their subsequent fixture, largely due to how the match unfolded. Charlton dominated Marti Cifuentes’s side, registering 1.63 xG compared to Leicester’s mere 0.51. Yet, the Foxes miraculously managed to score and clinch a 1-0 win.

Early Cup Exit

The hosts seem to have opted against expending extra energy on domestic cups, exiting the League Cup straight away after a penalty shootout loss to Huddersfield (2-2, pens: 2-3).

Squad Changes and Impact

Such dips in performance were quite predictable, considering that only goalkeeper Asmir Begović from Everton joined the team as a genuine reinforcement. In contrast, Leicester saw six key players depart. While Jamie Vardy left as a free agent, James Justin was sold to Leeds, Kasey McAteer to Ipswich, Mads Hermansen to West Ham, and Wilfred Ndidi to Besiktas.

Birmingham’s Ascent to Championship

While Leicester was relegated, Birmingham, conversely, earned promotion, confidently winning League One last season.

Strong Start and League Position

The Blues have enjoyed a more than successful start to their campaign. Although their first match was a high-scoring home draw with a formidable Ipswich side (1-1), who were themselves relegated from the Premier League, they followed it up with victories over Blackburn (2-1) and Oxford (1-0). These results have propelled the visitors to fifth place in the league table, and even at this early stage, they are in contention for a Premier League spot.

Early Cup Exit

Chris Davies’s team also had a short-lived run in the League Cup. They progressed past Sheffield United in the first round but suffered an unexpected home defeat to Port Vale (0-1) in the second.

Strategic Transfers and Squad Enhancement

Birmingham’s management worked diligently in the transfer market, selling key players and signing equally valuable replacements. Notable departures include Kristian Belić (to West Bromwich), Alfie May (Huddersfield), Ayumu Yokoyama (Genk), and Romello Donovan (Brentford). However, they brought in higher-caliber players such as Marvin Ducksch (from Borussia Mönchengladbach), Kyogo Furuhashi (Rennes), Alfons Sampsted (Twente), and Taylor-Gardner Hickman (Bristol).