Over 1,250 Imps will travel to the Second City to face Birmingham at Knighthead Park, hoping to secure a spot in the fourth round.
Birmingham City Form
After relegation from the second-tier last season, Birmingham City underwent a rebuild from top to bottom in the summer. The Blues were looking to return to the Championship at the first attempt, and their recruitment showed that they weren’t taking their ambitions lightly. Backed by NFL star Tom Brady and American businessman Tom Wagner, Birmingham certainly flexed their financial muscles in the window, splashing out transfer fees unheard of at League One level.
Our hosts on Saturday spent a combined £8million on Go Ahead Eagles midfielder Willum Thor WIllumson and Darmstadt defender Chris Klarer, but then the Blues went and splashed out nearly double that on Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, who spent the previous campaign on loan at the St. Andrews. On top of this, they managed to capture Alfie May, the Golden Boot winner of League One in 23/24.
The Bluenoses kicked off the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Reading, but soon embarked on a seven-game winning streak, sending them to the top of League One. The run included impressive victories over Wrexham, Huddersfield and Wycombe, which helped Birmingham assert themselves as the top dog in the division.
A blip in the capital against Charlton was quickly redeemed with a 3-1 victory at Sincil Bank, as Birmingham still stayed top. A victory at home to Bolton was the last game before they went on a three-match winless streak, drawing to Mansfield and Northampton before losing to bottom club Shrewsbury 3-2 at the Crowd Meadow. Birmingham’s blip didn’t last long, as they took maximum points from all of their next five matches.
Last time out, the Blues comfortably won 3-0 in Wigan. However, form goes out of the window in the FA Cup, as the Imps hold out hope they could spring a surprise on their visit to the Second City on Saturday.
Birmingham City Tactics
The Blues setup in 3-4-2-1, featuring a triangular setup among the forwards that allows for fluid movement and rotation. The centre-backs take center stage, playing a more crucial role than in other teams throughout the league, in the buildup from the back. The double-pivot, typically consisting of Tomoki Iwata and Seung-ho Paik, is positioned centrally, forcing the opposition to play wide in the majority of the game.
Christoph Klarer is a central defender who often ventures into wide areas and pushes the ball forward when he is unmarked by opponents. Ben Davies, also another integral part of Blues setup, often positions himself deeper, aiming to send long passes into open areas behind the defense.
Lee Buchanan is the only Birmingham player that will watch the cup tie on the sidelines.
Previous Meetings
This will be just the second meeting between Birmingham City and Lincoln City in the FA Cup with the Blues winning 2-1 at St Andrew’s in a third-round tie in 1969. Birmingham has been unbeaten in its last 18 meetings with Lincoln in all competitions since a 1-0 loss in April 1911. It’s their longest unbeaten run against any opponent in their history.
City have already played Birmingham in league action this season, being beaten 3-1 by the Blues after a Bailey Cadamateri goal within one minute. With the Imps’ poor form, gaining a fourth-round spot will be completely against all odds, but here’s hoping the Imps can spring a surprise on the Bluenoses and ignite some FA Cup magic!
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