Just 40 miles and 4 points separates Cardiff from Swansea ahead of this Welsh local derby in the Championship on Sunday lunchtime as the two teams meet at the Cardiff City Stadium with three points and bragging rights up for grabs here.
Mid-table Cardiff City sit in 12th place in the second tier but seem to be treading water right now as The Bluebirds continue their rebuild phase under former Millwall manager, Neil Harris, who replaced Neil Warnock earlier in the season.
Although Cardiff have suffered just 1 defeat out of their last 5 matches overall, which was the heavy 6-1 thrashing at the hands of QPR last weekend, Cardiff have also managed to collect only 1 win from their last 6 matches which came in the shape of a slightly surprising 2-1 win away from home at Sheffield Wednesday.
Three draws against Leeds United 3-3, Preston North End 0-0 and a 1-1 draw with Harris’s former club, Millwall, have resulted in Cardiff remaining in their mid-table position, having made little impact over the past few weeks.
Cardiff have lost just once at home this season though, while 7 of Cardiff’s 12 home matches have seen both teams score; forwards Ward (5 goals) along with Glatzel and Tomlin (4 goals apiece) look the most likely for The Bluebirds.
🏋️♂️ Preparing for Sunday! 💪📸 Gallery 👉 https://t.co/Wl6agi7UeX pic.twitter.com/pBJo6vx4tE— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) January 8, 2020
🏋️♂️ Preparing for Sunday! 💪📸 Gallery 👉 https://t.co/Wl6agi7UeX pic.twitter.com/pBJo6vx4tE
Swansea City currently occupy 6th place and a position in the play-off pack in the Championship prior to this bitterly contested Welsh derby with Cardiff City, and recent form suggests The Swans will be hard to shift at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The visitors have lost just 1 of their last 6 matches in the Championship which was a 3-1 defeat away at high-flying Brentford, but wins against Middlesbrough, Luton Town and Charlton Athletic have been a vast improvement from Swansea’s earlier slump in form.
The Swans failed to win any of their 6 matches played during the period from mid-November through to mid-December which included defeats to Millwall, Fulham and a heavy 5-1 loss to West Brom, but Steve Cooper’s side seem to have steadied the ship since.
However, with just 1 away win from their last 5 matches on the road, it may be best to consider the goals market here as 8 of Swansea’s 12 away matches have also seen both teams score, especially with the likes of Baston (6 goals) and Ayew (9 goals) up front.
The form book generally goes out the window in local derbies, but both teams look likely to score here in Sunday’s clash.