Both sides come into this game in contrasting form, with Cardiff enduring a horror start to the campaign, whilst Swansea are looking to build on their first win. We expect the visitorsβ woes to continue with a home victory. Swansea are unbeaten in their last three home games against Cardiff in the South Wales Derby, and in these games they have kept a clean sheet in all of them, averaging two goals per game.
The Swans have been superior in this fixture at home, scoring in both halves of the game in each of the previous three. They have also been the first to score in five of the last six meetings.
However, a big win may not be on the cards, as Cardiff have been involved in games featuring less than 2.5 goals in five of their last seven overall. As a result, we expect Swansea to pick up all three points, but it will be competitive β Swansea 2-0 Cardiff
SWANSEA CITY VS CARDIFF CITY: PREVIEW & PREDICTION
Cardiff make the trip to face Swansea in the South Wales Derby, looking to pick up their first points of the season following a disastrous start.
Date: 25/08/24
Kick-off time: 9:00 AM EST
Venue: Swansea.com Stadium
Two losses from two has left Cardiff bottom of the table with a -7 goal difference. A 5-0 defeat to promotion hopefuls Burnley last time out followed an opening day 2-0 loss at home to Sunderland. It leaves them with the prospect of starting the season with no points from the first three as they face a tricky trip to their rivals.
Manager Erol Bulut is at the helm for a second season in charge, hoping to improve on their 12th place finish last season. However, they are facing an uphill battle already so early into the season. They struggled at both ends of the pitch last campaign, but brought in some reinforcements to bolster their options defensively and offensively.
Calum Chambers joined the club from Aston Villa to give them added experience and solidity at the back, whilst Anwar El Ghazi provides another option going forward, though this has not gone to plan so far. Their struggles in attack are highlighted by the fact their top scorers Perry Ng and Karlan Grant scored six goals each last season, whilst only one other player reached five.
They will be hosted by a Swansea team who recovered from opening day defeat to comfortably beat Preston 3-0. It was a welcome result for the Swans to get back on track after losing to Middlesbrough. They lost last yearβs top scorer Jamal Lowe over the summer, but have already seen production from one of their signings Zan Vipotnik, who came off the bench to open his account last weekend.
At the back, Swansea have been solid, conceding just once. They should be confident in recording another clean sheet against a team who have yet to score in the league. At home in front of their fans, they should have momentum on their side and will be eager to rub salt in the wounds of their rivals.
Since 2020, these two rivals have faced off nine times in the Championship, with Swansea significantly getting the better of their opponents during this time. Six of these meetings have ended with a Swansea victory, whilst Cardiff have won just twice. Within this stretch is a four-game winning streak for the Swans in which they scored 12 and conceded just two. Last season, the two teams split their games with a win apiece. The home side won each game. The latest was a Swansea 2-0 win, with Liam Cullen and Lowe on the scoresheet.
WHERE TO WATCH
Swansea vs Cardiff will be available to watch on Sky Sports Football.
TEAM NEWS
Swansea
After their dominant display against Preston last time out, there is a good chance Swansea could name an unchanged starting lineup. They have no injury concerns to contend with and should have a fully fit squad to select from.
Cardiff
Cardiff were dealt a big blow as midfielder David Turnbull injured himself in the warm-up before their game against Bristol Rovers. He missed the weekendβs game and is likely to face an extended spell on the sidelines. Anwar El Ghazi also remains out. Captain Joe Ralls was substituted in the first half with an injury so his availability is in doubt.
FORM GUIDE
Swansea City:
In their last five games, Swansea have won three, drawn one and lost one. It was a very inconsistent pre-season for Swansea, and they continued this form into the first game of the new season, as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat away at Middlesbrough. They failed to produce a single shot on target, and lost to a 25th minute penalty from Emmanuel Latte Lath.
The season continued in the first round of the EFL Cup, and they advanced with a 3-1 win against Gillingham. Goals from Ronald and Liam Cullen put them ahead, before the visitors made things interesting late on as they pulled one back, but a third from Azeem Abdulai in stoppage time put the game to bed. Last weekend, they continued this winning momentum by beating Preston 3-0 in their second league game. Matt Grimes put them ahead before the break from the spot, before Abdulai and Zan Vipotnik completed the scoring.
Their pre-season preparations started this run and ended with a draw and win. Firstly, a game against Macedonian side FK Vardar, where they were held to a 1-1 draw at home. Their last fixture came against Rio Ave from Portugal, as they were victorious 3-0. Goals from Jay Fulton, Kyle Naughton and Grimes helped them to the win to conclude their preparations for the season.
Cardiff City:
In their last five games, Cardiff have won three and lost two. It was a strong end to pre-season for Cardiff, but they began their Championship season with a 2-0 defeat on the opening day to Sunderland. It was a fairly even affair, but they could not take advantage of their opportunities whilst their opponents did. Goals from Luke OβNien and Jack Clarke in each half condemned them to a loss.
Their campaign continued in the first round of the EFL Cup, getting back on track with a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers. Both goals came in the second half, the first scored by Mark McGuinness, before Rubin Colwill put the game to bed in stoppage time. Their second league game was a tricky trip to Burnley, and they fell to a crushing 5-0 defeat.
Pre-season ended with two consecutive victories, the first of which was a 2-1 win over Reading. They ended their preparations on a high with another victory over Bristol Rovers, beating them 2-0.
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