Birmingham City vs Preston North End LIVE: Championship latest score, goals and updates from fixture
Follow live coverage as Birmingham City face Preston North End in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Last year Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United were relegated from the top flight and all are hopeful of making a quick return - but the likes of Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland all have real promotion ambitions too.
At the other end of the table, QPR, Cardiff City and Birmingham City will hope for better campaigns than last year’s relegation struggle - while newcomers Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to survive after dramatic progress through the play-offs.
Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Birmingham City FC 1 - 0 Preston North End FC
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:56
Match ends, Birmingham City 1, Preston North End 0.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:55
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Preston North End 0.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:55
Attempt missed. Gary Gardner (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Attempt missed. Liam Millar (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Robert Brady.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Attempt blocked. Liam Millar (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Substitution, Preston North End. Josh Seary replaces Duane Holmes.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Substitution, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner replaces Juninho Bacuna.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Substitution, Birmingham City. Ivan Sunjic replaces Paik Seung-Ho.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:54
Liam Lindsay (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:47
Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:43
Ethan Laird (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:43
Hand ball by Ethan Laird (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:40
Substitution, Birmingham City. Keshi Anderson replaces Koji Miyoshi.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:40
Substitution, Birmingham City. Scott Hogan replaces Jay Stansfield.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:40
Attempt saved. Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andre Dozzell with a through ball.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:37
Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:34
Substitution, Preston North End. Layton Stewart replaces Will Keane.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:34
Substitution, Preston North End. Milutin Osmajic replaces Emil Riis.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:33
Attempt blocked. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Juninho Bacuna.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:29
Foul by Ethan Laird (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:27
Goal! Birmingham City 1, Preston North End 0. Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box following a fast break.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:22
Substitution, Preston North End. Liam Millar replaces Noah Mawene.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:22
Substitution, Preston North End. Ben Woodburn replaces Mads Frökjaer-Jensen.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:20
Foul by Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:17
Foul by Andre Dozzell (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:13
Substitution, Birmingham City. Andre Dozzell replaces Jordan James.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:09
Foul by Dion Sanderson (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:08
Emanuel Aiwu (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:06
Foul by Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
16:04
Second Half begins Birmingham City 0, Preston North End 0.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:49
First Half ends, Birmingham City 0, Preston North End 0.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:47
Attempt saved. Robert Brady (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Will Keane.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:45
Lee Buchanan (Birmingham City) hits the right post with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Paik Seung-Ho.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:44
Will Keane (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:44
Emanuel Aiwu (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:39
Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:38
Attempt saved. Koji Miyoshi (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:38
Attempt blocked. Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Krystian Bielik.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:35
Attempt missed. Noah Mawene (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:31
Attempt blocked. Jordan James (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lee Buchanan.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:27
Emanuel Aiwu (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:26
Jordan James (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:27
Foul by Ali McCann (Preston North End).
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:21
Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:20
Offside, Preston North End. Robert Brady is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:18
Attempt missed. Jordan James (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Koji Miyoshi.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:18
Attempt saved. Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Koji Miyoshi.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:18
Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:12
Attempt missed. Juninho Bacuna (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:07
Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Ethan Laird.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:03
Offside, Birmingham City. Juninho Bacuna is caught offside.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
15:02
First Half begins.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
14:30
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Birmingham City vs Preston North End
14:00
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