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Blackpool v Birmingham City tips - Blues to draw first blood in play-off

Marlon King is one of the dangerous attacking players Birmingham will be relying upon against Blackpool (credit: Rene Gomolj/AFP/Getty Images)
Birmingham can maintain their recent dominance over Blackpool by seizing the advantage in their Championship play-off semi-final.

Match odds
Blackpool – 6/4 (BetVictor)
Draw – 12/5 (Betfred)
Birmingham – 11/5 (Paddy Power)

The Blues have won three of the last four meetings between these sides, completing the double when they were both relegated from the Premier League last season and recording a 3-0 St Andrew’s victory on New Year’s Eve 2011.

The other clash this season at Bloomfield Road was typical of what we can expect on Friday for it finished 2-2, these being two teams who score plenty of goals but sometimes have difficulty keeping clean sheets.

They both comfortably secured their places in the play-offs, Birmingham finishing one point ahead of Blackpool over the 46-game season as they clinched fourth and fifth spots.

After a dodgy first half of March, Chris Hughton’s side rediscovered their form again when it mattered and they finished the campaign unbeaten in their last nine matches.

Particularly impressive was a 2-0 final-day win over champions Reading which will have sent Birmingham into the play-offs in the best possible heart.

“That was our 60th game of the season but we finished very strongly and that shows what the team have in the locker,” said Hughton, who guided the club through a Europa League group campaign during the autumn.

“This is why we are desperate for the lads to finish off the job and I sincerely hope they can.”

Blackpool have not been beaten at home since being thrashed 4-1 by West Ham in February but their manager Ian Holloway is aware of the tough task facing his team.

“We take on a really good side in Birmingham,” said Holloway. “It’s going to be tough. Who’s going to win? I don’t know. We will give it our best shot and try to win every single half if we can.”

The Tangerines drew 2-2 at Millwall on the last day of the season, which was no mean feat considering the form their opponents had been in going into that game.

These two free-scoring sides should serve up a fine football spectacle beside the seaside and there should be a few goals.

But with attacking players such as Marlon King, Adam Rooney and Chris Burke in potent form at present, Birmingham may just have too many guns for Blackpool and can take a narrow lead back to the Midlands for the second leg.

Recommendation

Win Market – Birmingham (11/5 Paddy Power)

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Blackpool v Birmingham City tips - Blues to draw first blood in play-off

Birmingham can maintain their recent dominance over Blackpool by seizing the advantage in their Championship play-off semi-final.

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