David Prutton issues tight forecast ahead of Preston clash v Birmingham, delivers score prediction

David Prutton believes that Preston North End will slump to a second consecutive loss when they face Birmingham City on Saturday.
Alex Neil, manager of Preston North End. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Alex Neil, manager of Preston North End. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Alex Neil, manager of Preston North End. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The Lilywhites welcome the Blues to Deepdale having suffered a 2-0 defeat against Millwall in midweek, and will be looking to avoid a third disappointment in five Championship matches.

Alex Neil’s men have taken 10 points from their opening eight fixtures, and find themselves 13th in the table, four points off the play-off places and five clear of the drop zone.

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Birmingham have recorded a near-identical record to North End over the opening stages of the campaign, and themselves have 10 points and a goal difference of zero.

The Blues snatched a last gasp victory over Huddersfield Town in their last outing, with hitman Lukas Jutkiewicz scoring a 90th minute winner against the Terriers.

The 2-1 win was the first time that Aitor Karanka’s side have notched more than one goal in a game this season, and Prutton foresees another low-scoring affair this weekend.

Writing for Sky Sports, the pundit predicted a 1-0 loss for Preston.

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The Blues have proven to be fruitful opponents for the Lilywhites in recent seasons, with North End winning three of their last four outings against the Midlands club.

That trio of victories have come at an aggregate score of 4-0, with the most recent being a 2-0 win back in July on the penultimate day of last season.

Patrick Bauer and Brad Potts scored the decisive goals that day, with Preston eventually finishing the campaign 11 places above Saturday’s visitors.