All-Premier League Tie As Southampton Host Palace

Southampton host Crystal Palace in one particularly tasty all-Premier League FA Cup tie tomorrow. The Saints are currently coasting along in the top flight of English football, in third place and only 10 points off the top of the table. Crystal Palace have, however, moved four points clear of the relegation zone following the appointment of former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and will feel confident enough in getting the desired result tomorrow.

Ronald Koeman`s home side managed to get the better of the Eagles when they visited Selhurst Park in the league on Boxing Day in Neil Warnock`s final match in charge. Sadio Mane grabbed the deadlock breaker in the only goal of the opening 45 minutes of the encounter. Saints` full-back Ryan Bertrand doubled his team`s advantage not long after the restart and a header from fellow defender Toby Alderweireld made it three. Scott Dann earned Palace a consolation goal in the final ten minutes, the clash ending 3-1.

It`s 14/1 if you believe this scoreline will repeat itself tomorrow.

Despite the obvious gulf in quality on that occasion, Southampton needed a replay with Championship Ipswich to progress through to the fourth round of this competition. In Pardew`s first game in charge, Palace put four past Conference side Dover Athletic.

These are the only matches these teams have played in this tournament, having received a bye into the third round.

St. Mary`s was stunned into silence when Darren Ambrose fired Mick McCarthy`s second tier high-flyers into the lead in the first twenty minutes, though this advantage wasn`t maintained for long as Morgan Schneiderlin levelled up just under 15 minutes later.

A goalless second half saw the tie replayed at Portman Road, Shane Long blasting the ball past Tractor Boys` `keeper Bartosz Bialkowski in a move that spurned the only goal of the match. Crystal Palace travelled to Dover and saw themselves 1-0 up in the first 10 minutes following Scott Dann`s volley. A header just past the half-hour mark saw the central defender grab a second goal and doubled his team`s advantage prior to the break.

Dwight Gayle was clinical in scoring the third of the game and there was joy for on-loan striker Kevin Doyle who recorded only his first goal of the season three minutes from time. Doyle has since returned to his parent club Wolves.

Their home advantage means that the Saints have been installed as the 4/6 favourites with Betvictor for the match-up, though one expects it will be much closer than many expect. boylesports are offering odds of 31/10 on the clash ending tied after 90 minutes and the two clubs having to fight out a replay. Crystal Palace can be backed at 5/1 with most bookmakers.

Hampshire side Southampton are fallible at home, however, with Koeman`s men having lost twice at St Mary`s in their last five games. They conceded three without reply against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at home before succumbing to a Robin van Persie brace in a 2-1 loss at the hands of Manchester United. Graziano Pelle equalised for the Saints in the first half after the Dutchman`s deadlock breaker.

Indeed Pelle, a summer signing from Feyenoord, is the 9/2 favourite (betfred) in the first goal scorer market after having already tallied eleven goals in all competitions this season. The Saints, however, will miss six key faces with Emmanuel Mayuka, Sadio Mane and Maya Yoshida all away representing their respective countries and the aforementioned Alderweireld, Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama all having sustained injuries.

Pardew will not be able to call upon reliable first teamers captain Mile Jedinak or Yannick Bolasie who are also on international duty.

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23/01/2015     © Frixo 2024