Derby County V Birmingham City Betting: Saturday, 13th February (FA Cup)

Derby County V Birmingham City

Saturday, 13^th February – 15:00 GMT

Derby County

FA Cup Outright Odds: 250/1 bWin

The Rams will be looking to put their poor league campaign to one side on Saturday as they entertain Premiership side Birmingham City in the fifth round of the FA Cup. It’s been a stop-start sort of season for Derby County fans, mainly just stop in fairness, but, however, their form of late has greatly improved, especially at home, so perhaps a big victory is in the offing as Derby aim to put their name into the draw for the quarter-finals.

It’s been a poor season for Derby County and their fans as their dreams of promotion back to the top flight appear just that; a dream, with The Rams currently languishing down in 13^th position in the league table. Just as close to the bottom as they are to the top. However, they are on the road to redemption after a three match unbeaten run in The Championship. A run which the fans will be hoping just might be the springboard the players need to put in a big display on Saturday. Hopefully a winning one! They’ve now won two of their last three in the league, wins which were both mighty impressive as they came over the top two teams in the division; beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 & Newcastle United 3-0, with their stunning and emphatic 3-0 win over the Magpies their most recent success.

The Rams were sublime in midweek as they obliterated Newcastle’s unbeaten league run of fifteen games with a 3-0 win at Pride Park. That was Derby’s second successive win at home and Pride Park has been the setting for many happy memory’s this season, just about all of them in fact, with eight of their ten league wins coming in front of their home fans – A big plus point for any potential Derby backer. However, Stephen Bywater in the Derby goal hasn’t celebrated too many clean sheets this season, even at home, with their two against Nott’m Forest & Newcastle United being their first since October.

Derby really need a platform – a big result – so they can build a serious play-off bid. Victory on Saturday, over the Premiership’s surprise package, would surely give them that but their defence does make them a precarious proposition against a side which often punishes lacklustre defending. Still, Derby’s two previous victories in this tournament just to get this far did come at Pride Park, so perhaps home is where the heart as far as Derby are concerned.

Birmingham City

FA Cup Outright Odds: 15/1 PaddyPower

Alex McLeish must be licking his lips at the prospect of making a rare quarter-final appearance in the world’s oldest domestic cup competition. To get this far is an achievement in itself but, considering they’ve been granted a generous looking fixture here, you would have to feel exit now would be heartbreak for the Birmingham team in what looks their easiest fixture in this competition to date. However, while the players will be supremely confident over their chances of winning Saturday’s clash, they mustn’t let their arrogance become an issue, and we don’t think it will.

Birmingham have been by far and away the most improved team this season, arguably in the country. To go on a fifteen match unbeaten run in all competitions in just your first spell in the Premiership, albeit not their maiden one after gaining promotion on what seems an ‘every-other-year’ basis, is outstanding and a credit to every member of staff at the club. Much of their success has been largely down to their solid set up, their rock-hard defence and their ability to win tight games with scrappy and ugly goals. Well, against a Derby side who have been very tidy of late, Birmingham may need to show all the qualities that has made them such a success this season if they are to progress into the quarter-final draw.

After losing their grip on their twelve match unbeaten league run via defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, many were apprehensive about how Birmingham would fare in their following fixtures. However, they responded will, possibly not with their performances but certainly with results, earning a home draw with Tottenham Hotspur (1-1) and beating Wolves (2-1) at the weekend. However, their displays in both will be seen as a double-edged sword as Birmingham weren’t up to scratch in either but pulled off a valiant comeback in both. They have, though, conceded the opening goal in both of their last two outings and it took the players an awful long time to respond in both encounters. Now, Derby have been very clinical of late, much like Birmingham have throughout the season, and if Birmingham do concede the opening goal then there might not be anyway back for this never-give-up Birmingham side.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that Birmingham have had to come through two tough away fixtures to get this far having beaten Nottingham Forest at The City Ground during Forest’s lengthy unbeaten period before then pulling another rabbit out of the hat with victory at Goodison Park, beating Everton 2-1.

How they got here?

Derby County

Drew Millwall 1-1 (A)

Beat Millwall via a Penalty Shoot-out 5-3 (H)

Beat Doncaster Rovers 1-0 (H)

Birmingham City

Beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 (A)

Beat Everton 2-1 (A)

Match Verdict: Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

This is a fixture you’ll do best to avoid as we’ve found it extremely difficult to split the two. Derby have hit a decent bit of form, winning their last two at home, while Birmingham, although have been shaky of late, are still proving a tough nut to crack. The away side have a never-die attitude which has stood them in good stead in the Premiership and might be why they will be the winners of this contest on Saturday. However, their performances haven’t been at the level which seen them enjoy a fifteen match unbeaten run and we feel another below par display could see them exit this tournament at the fifth round stage. Then again, after watching Derby throughout most of the season, they could quite easily turn the Rams over. This is, quite literally, anyone’s game.

Match Odds:

Derby County – 3.50 SkyBet

Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

Birmingham City – 2.30 Expekt

SoccerBetting Tip: Under 2.5 Goals – 1.65 Expekt