The Championship returns after the international break with an all-Welsh clash as Cardiff City battle Swansea City. Both teams are still trying to find their best form this season but Cardiff have looked slightly better and should have the upper hand on Saturday.
Cardiff City suffered a 3-2 defeat at Ipswich Town in their Championship fixture prior to international break. They raced to a two-goal lead through Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ralls but a defensive capitulation saw them concede three goals in the second half.
The result is typical of Cardiff City’s campaign so far as they have claimed just one win in five Championship matches. Erol Bulut’s men are currently in the bottom half of the table, although it is not all doom and gloom as they did pick up a 3-1 victory at Birmingham City in the League Cup.
Another positive for Cardiff City is that their only win this season came in their previous home fixture. They claimed a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in their previous outing at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Swansea City are doing even worse than their Welsh rivals as they are yet to secure a single win this season. Michael Duff’s men have claimed just two draws so far and are currently down in the bottom three.
The Swans travel to the Cardiff City Stadium off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City in heir previous Championship fixture. They went into the break with the lead after an early strike from Liam Cullen but were pegged back in the second half.
Swansea City have a poor record on their travels, a holdover from last season’s struggles. They have lost six of their last 10 Championship away matches and have already been beaten in their two fixtures on the road this term.
How the bookies view it
The bookies appear to be split on this one with a win for Cardiff City priced at 13/8 by bet365 while BoyleSports is offering odds of 17/10 for a Swansea City victory. A draw is set at odds of 12/5 by William Hill.
Head to head
Swansea City have a 15-6 advantage with six draws from 27 previous matches against Cardiff City. The Swans did the double over their rivals last season with the clash at the Cardiff City Stadium ending 3-2.
Players to watch
Ike Ugbo has caught the eye for Cardiff City this season, scoring three goals in five appearances so far. The attacker could be the one to watch on Saturday and is priced at 5/2 with bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Swansea City have some attacking quality of their own with Jerry Yates scoring twice already this season. Bet365 has the forward at odds of 9/4 to find the net on Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the last meeting between Cardiff City and Swansea City and a repeat could be on the cards at 12/5 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 19/20 with Paddy Power while William Hill is offering odds of 8/11 on both teams to score.
Cardiff City have opened the scoring in their last three matches across all competitions and could be backed to grab the first goal on Saturday at evens with William Hill.
This England Championship match between Cardiff City and Swansea City will be played on and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Cardiff City vs Swansea City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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