Cardiff host Birmingham City on Sunday looking to consolidate their position in the Championship play-off zone. The two clubs experienced differing fortunes in midweek as we take a look at who might come out on top this weekend (Cardiff Evens, Birmingham 13/5, draw 5/2 Match Prices).
Cardiff’s 2-0 victory over Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night has put them into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup for the first time since 1966 and they will face Crystal Palace for a place at Wembley.
Although a trip to north London would be a fantastic occasion for the Welsh club, boss Malky Mackay would surely trade that one day of glory for a season or two in the English top-flight after the club’s recent near misses.
Cardiff will head into Sunday’s clash with high hopes of taking the spoils as they have won four of their past five Championship games, with just a draw away at Coventry on November 22 preventing a clean sweep in recent times.
Home form has been solid with six wins, two draws and just one defeat at the Cardiff City Stadium and they have averaged two goals per game on their own patch.
But they have also conceded 10, and that will give Blues hope that they can add to the 12 goals that they have scored on their travels this term.
History is not on the hosts’ side as Cardiff have won only one of their last 16 league and cup matches against the midlanders and that was back in 2006.
But they are the in-form team of the pair and have rightly been installed as favourites.
Mark Hudson and Rudy Gestede could return to the squad after recovering from hamstring injuries but may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Birmingham may well be in mid-table at present but they have ‘owned’ Cardiff away from home in recent times, with six wins from their last seven league visits to the Welsh capital.
Birmingham have picked up five points from their past three games and have avoided defeat in nine of their last 10 league games and so it could well be a tight affair on Sunday.
Stephen Carr has a sore knee while Liam Ridgewell has a thigh problem and both face late fitness tests ahead of the clash, with boss Chris Hughton keen to have both available to play some part in proceedings.
It is obvious that Birmingham are are stronger unit at St Andrew’s as they have yet to be beaten at home but they managed a creditable 2-2 draw away at Blackpool last time out and will look to build on that.
Their midweek defeat to Braga in the Europa League has left qualification out of their hands and it would probably aid their promotion push if they did crash out of that competition (Birmingham 150/1 Europa League Outright).
The Championship table is tight and it looks like it will a tough race for play-off places this term and it would surprise nobody if Birmingham were right in the mix during the run-in to the end of the season.
Victory on Sunday would be a great boost but this one looks like it could be a draw with Cardiff flying at present.
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