One of the form teams in the Premier League take on the form side in the Championship on Tuesday night, nothing could separate them the first time around but this time something has to give.
Birmingham’s club record 12 Premier League games unbeaten has included avoiding defeat against Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United and Man City, so their resilience is unquestionable. Forest have managed to go all season without being beaten on the road, so they too are a tough nut to crack, but who will it be that goes through to play Everton in the next round?
MONEY BACK SPECIAL: Birmingham v Notts Forest
12th January 2010
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The 0-0 stalemate at the City Ground is an indicator to what is likely to unfold at St Andrews, both sides will be looking to keep things tight and not give anything away cheaply.
The Blues’ impressive defensive record of only conceding 2 in their last 5 games is more than matched by Forest, who have only picked the ball out the net once in that time. With two of the tightest defences around coming up against each other, and neither side being free scoring, the prospect of goals is bleak. Under 2.5 goals is available at 4/7, but I would go as far as saying that this game will be decided by a single goal, or could even be another 0-0. Under 1.5 holds more value at 7/4 and is well worth backing.
Unbeaten run must end, but who for?
Deciding which way this game will go is a bit of a trickier task. Forest were impressive in their away win at West Brom last week and are capable of producing that kind of display on this visit to the Black country. But can they really beat the battling Blues?
They’re 7/2 to bring Birmingham’s unbeaten run to an end, with the draw available at 5/2. But Birmingham’s 10/11 price is where the smart money is, they may have been held to a draw the first time round, but I fancy them to finish the job at home. They’ll be full of confidence given their recent run, and Alex McLeish has instilled great team spirit and continuity. And with Benitez and Jerome beginning to forge a lively partnership up front they should have enough to get past Forest.
With a low-scoring, tight affair expected and 1-0 either way being my prediction, it’s worth looking at the number of teams to score market. For only one team to score Sporting Bet offer even money, something that could be well worth betting on.
Neither side concedes goals regularly, and with Birmingham only managing to score 3 in their last 5 and Forest failing to score twice in their last 4 outings, it has every chance of coming good for you. Of course, it could be a cup classic 4-3, in which case I’ll have egg on my face!
