FA Cup Quarter Final Match Preview: Birmingham vs. Bolton Wanderers
St. Andrews will play host to the first fixture of the FA Cup weekend. Birmingham are fresh off of their stunning and unforeseen victory over Arsenal to win the League Cup and book themselves a place in the Champi
ons League next season. However, their exceptional Cup victory and FA Cup run has been at the expense of their Premiership showing this year. The Blues are just above the drop zone on goal differential and no club has ever won two domestic cups and then been relegated, but this has been a bizarre season for sure.
Bolton Wanderers are in seventh place and above many critics expectations so far this season. Owen Coyle has led his team to a much under acknowledged top seven season so far. With this being their best season in several years and with a possible place in Europe secured with their current standings position, if they can hold it for the final 9 game run in, the match could hold significant value as this is the only chance they have left to take some hardware back to the Reebok. The last time Bolton won the FA Cup was 1958 and American Midfielder Stuart Holden is out to achieve victory with his newest squad.
I look for some key midfield match-ups between Barry Ferguson of Birmingham against both Stuart Holden and Fabrice Muamba, and Gary Cahill and Steven Carr will be hoping to hold each teams respected attackers at bay. The experience of Obafemi Martins will give Birmingham a stronger attack against Coyle's Charges than the last time the two met in August seeing them play to a 2-2 draw, but Chelsea's on loan attacker Daniel Sturridge has already put four goals in for his on loan side Bolton.
Look to see the Trotters take it to the Blues and take a 1-2 victory back to the Reebok as they continue their run of success this season, and they will play a rematch with the Blues on April 2nd.
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