Birmingham City ' D-Day: The key battles

May 3 2009 by Andy Walker, Sunday Mercury

THE KEY BATTLES

D-DAY has arrived for Birmingham City as they head to the Madejski Stadium knowing that a win will send them straight back into the Premier League.

However, they are up against a resurgent Reading side still in with a chance of nabbing second spot themselves.

It promises to be an intriguing battle in Berkshire but where couldpromotion be won or lost?

THE two goalkeepers have plenty in common.

Both are veterans of the game, Maik Taylor at 37 and Marcus Hahnemann at 36, both are ever-reliable, both are striving to have one last go at the top flight and the two of them are good friends to boot from their days together at Fulham.

Hahnemann was the hero the last time these two sides locked horns at the Madejski Stadium when he brilliantly denied Mikael Forssell the opportunity to put Blues 2-1 up minutes before the visitors conceded a second Andre Bikey goal that condemned them to defeat.

Errors are few and far between from either of these keepers but should one crack under the intense pressure today then that could be the difference.

RADHI Jaidi must shudder whenever he casts his mind back to his last trip to the Madejski Stadium in the Premier League.