If City want to be walking out in North London on May 23rd in the play off final they need to secure their place as soon as possible. The next four games are going to seem like four cup finals starting with Saturdays clash with Birmingham City at the MKM Stadium.

The Blues arrive in East Yorkshire in poor form with just two wins since 21st February and their last away win at Norwich in nine games they have claimed just seven points. One being a victory over QPR at St Andrews on 11th March with them claiming a draw three days later again at home against Sheffield United. In their last game last Sunday they saw off Wrexham and previously they had three defeats on the trot.

City’s form is sketchy also at the moment with the controversial defeat at Bramall Lane on Saturday for which city received an apology from PGMOL chief Kevin Friend over the performance of referee John Brooks. Before the game in S2 we claimed the point against champions elect Coventry and a hard fought point at Oxford.

Sergej Jakirović revealed in his pre match press conference that as many as six players could return in Yu Hirakawa, Ryan Giles, Akin Famewo, Toby Collyer, Lewis Koumas and Eliot Matazo could all return. Matazo could make his first appearance since February 2025 when he suffered an ACL at Cardiff.

Birmingham’s visits to HU3 usually end in a home victory with the exception of their last two visits where the Blues have gone home with a point in 2024 and won here in 2022 before this City had won the previous seven.

If Sergej’s boys can see off their midlands visitors and claim two wins on the road next week then the final day with Norwich could be the game that confirms an extension to the season but lets see

Predicted lineup: Pandur, Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Giles, Collyer, Hadžiahmetović, Millar, Belloumi, Crooks, McBurnie

Prediction City 3 Blues 1