Preview: Cardiff City vs. Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to grounds back-to-back wins successful the 2nd tier, relegation-threatened Cardiff City volition invited Coventry City to South Wales connected New Year's Day for a Championship battle.

The Bluebirds enjoyed a much-needed triumph astatine promotion-chasing Watford connected the weekend, whilst the Sky Blues played retired a goalless gully with Millwall.

Match preview

© Imago

Despite dismissing erstwhile caput manager Erol Bulut adjacent the opening of the campaign, Cardiff City person continued to conflict successful the 2024-25 Championship word nether the stewardship of Omer Riza, who has been fixed the relation arsenic brag successful South Wales until the extremity of the season.

The Bluebirds enjoyed a superior dose of festive cheer during their last lucifer of 2024 connected Sunday afternoon, though, erstwhile a superb brace from Callum Robinson secured each 3 points astatine the location of Watford, ending Cardiff's highly-concerning nine-game winless tally aft astir 2 months.

Recording a much-needed triumph astatine the Hornets' Hertfordshire location past clip out, Cardiff person moved up to 22nd spot successful the Championship standings arsenic the part welcomes successful the New Year, conscionable the azygous constituent down Hull City successful the comparative information of 21st position.

Winning 4 and losing 7 of their 11 Championship matches astatine the Cardiff City Stadium during 2024-25, the Bluebirds are the lone broadside successful the part who are yet to acquisition a stock of the spoils from a location contest, with lone Hull (11) collecting less than Cardiff's 12 points crossed respective location fixtures.

© Imago

Following a sobering 4-1 decision astatine the basal of relegation-threatened Portsmouth connected December 21, Coventry City person returned to Championship enactment aft Christmas Day successful awesome style, collecting 4 points crossed a brace of battles with Plymouth Argyle and Millwall successful the Midlands.

The Sky Blues were the latest second-tier outfit to batter Wayne Rooney's Green Army connected Boxing Day arsenic Josh Eccles netted an unexpected brace during the 4-0 thumping, and 3 days aboriginal Frank Lampard's troops picked up a stock of the points astatine location to managerless Millwall.

Losing conscionable 2 of their 7 second-tier matches since the accomplishment of erstwhile Chelsea and England prima Lampard successful precocious November, Coventry person moved themselves up to 15th spot successful the Championship table, 7 points supra the relegation portion and 9 points down the playoff picture.

As is the lawsuit with the bulk of the teams successful the 2nd tier, the Sky Blues person struggled to regularly station victories connected the roadworthy during 2024-25 to date, with the Midlands outfit winning conscionable 2 of their 12 Championship distant contests truthful far.

Cardiff City Championship form:

Coventry City Championship form:

Team News

© Imago

Cardiff are severely missing the originative beingness of midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who played 4 league matches astatine the commencement of the play earlier sustaining a muscular issue.

The Bluebirds' options astatine the apical extremity of the transportation are reduced further by the lack of Chris Willock, with the 26-year-old picking up a sound astatine Vicarage Road connected the weekend.

Wednesday's hosts are besides incapable to telephone upon the talents of motor country enforcer David Turnbull, who is expected to beryllium sidelined for the bulk of January with a hamstring strain.

After firing a blank astatine location against a stubborn Millwall broadside connected Sunday, Lampard could opt to freshen up his Coventry onslaught connected New Year's Day, with Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante pushing for starts.

In truth, the Sky Blues are craving the goalscoring abilities of Haji Wright, nevertheless the American marksman is presently successful the aesculapian country due to the fact that of a limb issue.

Cardiff City imaginable starting lineup:
Alnwick; Daland, Goutas, Chambers; Rinomhota, Siopis, Robertson, O'Dowda; Robinson, Tanner, Ashford

We say: Cardiff City 1-1 Coventry City

After a daze occurrence astatine Watford connected Sunday, Cardiff volition beryllium looking to grounds back-to-back wins for the archetypal clip since the mediate of October.

ID:561735:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect10974:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!