Eng. Championship
2012-03-25 - Birmingham City vs Cardiff City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Championship
Sunday 25 March 2012 - Kick Off 12pm
This game is live on TV
Birmingham City
Birmingham City have hit a bad run of form at just the wrong time of the season and will be in for a bit of fight to even make it into the Play Offs after being in the automatic promotion mix earlier this year. I am beginning to wonder if their participation in the Europa League has had an adverse affect on the squad, especially in the 46 game Championship.
With just 9 games left on the schedule, Birmingham are still in a good position to reach the Play Offs, although the results on Saturday means they are in 7th position in the Championship, 1 point and 1 place outside of the Play Offs. They will move into the top 6 if they avoid defeat here, although the automatic promotion possibilities are very likely gone. Birmingham are 11-7-1 at home this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding just 10.
The Blues have won just 1 of their last 7 games in all competitions, although that did come last week when they entertained Middlesbrough here at St Andrews. That was actually their only win in the last 5 home games they have played in all competitions and it was in that run of games that they lost their only home League game this season.
David Murphy is suspended having been sent-off in the 4-1 loss at Portsmouth during the week, while Stephen Carr and Jonathan Spector are both out with injuries. Erik Huseklepp is back from suspension.
Cardiff City
If the Europa League seems to have sapped sum of the energy from Birmingham City, the run to the Carling Cup Final may have taken a little out of the Cardiff City as they hope to find their way into the Play Off picture. This is a big game for Malky Mackay's boys as they face one of their rivals for that position.
Cardiff are 8th in the Championship, but they are also just 1 point behind the Play Off places above them, while a win here would see the Bluebirds move up to 4th in the table. Cardiff have a 5-10-4 away record this season, scoring 23 goals and conceding 22, meaning no team has lost fewer games on their travels than the Welsh club.
The team have only won 1 of their last 8 games in all competitions, while they had played 7 away games in a row without winning a game before beating Bristol City 1-2 last time out. It is also telling that Cardiff have lost 2 of their 4 away games this season within their last 4 away games in the Championship.
Kenny Miller looks set to miss the game, but Stephen McPhail could be available again.
Head to Head
Cardiff City beat Birmingham City 1-0 at home earlier this season, but it has been tougher for them when visiting this part of the Midlands.
Birmingham drew 1-1 with Cardiff when they last met here 3 seasons ago.
Prediction
This should be a tough contest for both teams, one that will be filled with tension as the importance of the game will not be lost on the players. Both teams are going to be fighting for one of the four Play Off positions that are available in the Championship, so neither will want to lose ground in that aim.
They have had similar seasons in a manner with both Birmingham and Cardiff having long Cup runs that have perhaps taken their toll on the squad at this stage of the season with both clubs being in the lower regions of the recent form guide.
I expect both managers may set out a little cautious, while the extra hot weather in a lunch time kick off may also slow the tempo of the game down, much like it did in the Chelsea-Tottenham Hotspur game on Saturday in the Premier League.
Chris Hughton and Malky Mackay are likely to make sure their sides are set out to defend properly and try and make it tough for their opposite number to get the upper hand in the game.
While both teams have been scoring freely in recent games, I just have a feeling we may the defences on top in this one with a single goal perhaps being the difference between the two sides. With the weather suggesting it will be another warm day, I think the early lunchtime kick off may keep the tempo slower in a game that neither team will want to lose and so the Unders looks the way to go for me.
The Pick :
Birmingham City 1-0 Cardiff City
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll take the Under 2.25 Goals @ 2.10 (188Bet)
