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Premier League Preview: Portsmouth - Birmingham City
Spirited Pompey look to continue good run of form...
| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £52.00 | Birmingham City £90.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £48.00 | Birmingham City £90.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £13.00 | Draw £50.00 | Birmingham City £110.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.90 | Draw £55.00 | Birmingham City £95.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £50.00 | Birmingham City £98.00 |
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8 Mar 2010 18:19:00
By Adithya Ananth
Kick-Off: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - 19:45 GMT
Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Portsmouth host Birmingham City in a re-run of the recent FA Cup game between the two sides, as the home team hope for a photocopy of that match.
Pompey beat City 2-0 on Saturday, as a second-half brace from Frederic Piquionne brought Brum to their knees.
The manager of the south coast club, Avram Grant, placed the cup run alongside the time when he guided Chelsea to the final of the Champions League.
"There are some moments in your life you always remember and this is one of them," he said. "I was in the Champions League final and was happy, this is the same."
The hosts became the first club in the history of the Premier League to go into administration, and any hope of rekindling the flame of survival will have to done with a victory over manager Alex McLeish’s men.
The Fratton Park outfit have been showing some good form in recent weeks, with three victories in their last four games in all competitions. And despite being riddled with crisis all season long, the squad has shown great fighting spirit in the face of adversity.
"You can break many things but you cannot break our spirit,” said the Israeli boss. “Other people maybe thought we would break but nobody can break our spirit.”
On the other side of the fence, Brum will be disappointed by the result at the weekend, which saw them denied a spot in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. McLeish’s charges will be out of revenge in this encounter, but it will depend on whether the team’s confidence has been dented following their consistently inconsistent run in recent times. Alternating wins and losses in their last six matches in all competitions may look worrying, but sitting in a comfortable position in the league will likely act as a means of solace for the fans.
However, the former Rangers boss will want to impress owner Carson Yeung with a victory to make a serious case for a hefty sum to splash during the summer.
FORM GUIDE
Portsmouth
Feb 9: Portsmouth 1-1 Sunderland [Premier League]
Feb 13: Southampton 1-4 Portsmouth [FA Cup]
Feb 20: Portsmouth 1-2 Stoke City [Premier League]
Feb 27: Burnley 1-2 Portsmouth [Premier League]
Mar 6: Portsmouth 2-0 Birmingham City [FA Cup]
Birmingham City
Feb 10: West Ham 2-0 Birmingham [Premier League]
Feb 13: Derby County 1-2 Birmingham [FA Cup]
Feb 21: Fulham 2-1 Birmingham [Premier League]
Feb 27: Birmingham City 1-0 Wigan Athletic [Premier League]
Mar 6: Portsmouth 2-0 Birmingham City [FA Cup]
TEAM NEWS
Portsmouth
Midfielders John Utaka and Hassan Yebda will be sidelined for this encounter, as the Nigerian experienced a groin problem following the game on Saturday, while the Algeria international will be seeing a specialist over a persistent knee injury.
Tommy Smith (groin), Aaron Mokoena (knee) and Anthony Vanden Borre (hamstring) could be back in contention, while Kevin-Prince Boateng (ankle) will not be available for this match.
Last starting line-up (against Birmingham): James, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Hreidarsson, Belhadj,Brown, Wilson, O'Hara, Webber, Piquionne, Utaka
Birmingham City
There are no new injury concerns for McLeish, but the manager has admitted that he will be looking to freshen up the team following the disheartening FA Cup loss. January signing Michel is consequently expected to make his first start for the club.
Last starting line-up (against Portsmouth): Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, Fahey, McFadden, Jerome
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portsmouth – Frederic Piquionne
Having netted twice against these opponents in the last game, the striker – who is on loan from Olympique de Marseille – will be brimming with confidence and shoot at every given opportunity.
Birmingham City – Joe Hart
The young goalkeeper has put in some sensational performances this season, and has earned himself several plaudits. He will be keen to continue his good form and prove his mettle to national team boss Fabio Capello.
PREDICTION
Pompey have been putting in spirited displays and their fans will be right behind their team, particularly after the morale boosting victory that guaranteed a semi-final berth in the FA Cup. Avram Grant’s charges could clinch this one by a narrow margin.
Portsmouth 2-1 Birmingham City
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