Portsmouth V Birmingham City
Football : England : Premier League
Tuesday 9th March 2010 – Kickoff 8pm

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It’s been a year to forget for the south coast side, with ownership of the club changing hands 4 times, before becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration, and they're now almost guaranteed relegation as a result.

The FA Cup remains though, and Portsmouth will no doubt play their hearts out in front of a capacity crowd at Fratton Park, to give something back to their heartbroken fans ...

Hang on, I'm getting deja vu. I've written this before. Is it Groundhog day?!!

Portsmouth

Avram Grant's troubled Pompey kept the FA Cup romance alive over the weekend with a fantastic 2-0 win over Birmingham City. The south coast side might have the worst home form in the Premier League but it didn't show, as 2 quick fire second half goals from frenchman Piquionne proved decisive. It was no more than the team and fans deserved, as they have not let their heads drop due to their off-pitch misery.

The attitude shown by this team resembles that of someone who has been told they are terminally ill, and have very little time left. With the horizon and drop so clear to see, Portsmouth now hold no fear. They are simply enjoying their last remaining months of Premiership football, and giving their all for the loyal fans every time they go out to play. That's a dangerous type of opponent to face.

This kamikaze style of play will surely result in Portsmouth scoring goals, but once again leaving them vulnerable to conceding at least once. Portsmouth will be without Utaka, Yebda and Boateng because of injury. Mokoena is a doubt because of a knee ligament problem while Rocha serves the second of a two-match ban and will also be out.

Birmingham City

Alex McLeish will be furious having watched his side beaten here in the Cup, so close to a place in Wembley. His side scored a goal in that match, only for the officials to wrongly rule that the ball hadn't crossed the line, something that had me fuming just as much as McLeish. Brum will be out for revenge here, looking to improve on their 8th place ranking to push for a place in Europe, and out to bang in another nail in Portsmouth's already sealed coffin.

The team will be unchanged from the one that visited Fratton Park 3 days ago. They have done well this season but their away form is cause for concern. While they have racked up 26 points at home, their travels have netted them only 14. They have also lost all of their last 3 away fixtures in the league.

Birmingham might not have the off-pitch worries of their opponents, but McLeish will face a battle to try and get his boys to stop licking their wounds and atone for the weekend loss by beating their cup conquerers. Surely they manage to score here tonight, but once again, will it be enough to beat a team that is now confident and fearless, going to war for its fans every time it steps on the pitch.

The Betting Verdict :

I'm going to suggest the exact same bet I recommended over the weekend, one that would and should have been a winner if the officials hadn't wrongly ruled the Birmingham goal out.

Both teams will attack each other from the get go, and with problems at the back, it can mean only one thing. No clean sheet.

The Statistics :

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take Both teams to score at 2.00 (Bet365)