Cardiff City VS Bristol City Match Prediction
2018-02-25
12:00:00
Cardiff City
VS
Bristol City
Our Prediction Tip
Cardiff City will win this match.
2018-02-2512:00:00 Cardiff City will win this match.
This will be the 92nd Severnside Derby, and Cardiff have - until the most recent fixture at Ashton Gate - been the more dominant team recently. Cardiff had won four and drawn of the previous five, before Aden Flint scored Bristol City's winner in the reverse fixture in November. They have not lost in Cardiff against the Robins since a third-tier fixture in December 2002, however. Here are the results of their last five matches.
Nov 04, 2017: Bristol City 2-1 Cardiff City
Jan 14, 2017: Bristol City 2-3 Cardiff City
Oct 14, 2016: Cardiff City 2-1 Bristol City
Mar 05, 2016: Bristol City 0-2 Cardiff City
Oct 26, 2015: Cardiff City 0-0 Bristol City
Cardiff have enjoyed plenty of home success in the Severnside Derby in recent years, and looking at the form of the two teams you would back them to do it again on Sunday.
Bristol City have thrown away at least four points in recent weeks after squandering big leads against both Sunderland and Leeds United in consecutive matches.
Given Cardiff’s form, and solid defensive system too, it seems unlikely the Robins - even with Bobby Reid in goalscoring form - will even be given the chance to build such a lead this time.
Cardiff have risen to second on the back of their well-timed return to form, and it shows that the promotion charge is definitely not over for Lee Johnson's side either if they return to form.
But Neil Warnock is a canny manager, and knows how to get his sides to perform at the business end of the season.
A win in the Severnside Derby for the hosts, on the back of their recent success too, would be a huge boost and a great platform for the rest of the season.
Warnock will miss captain Sean Morrison should he not be passed fit to play, but he has built a squad with good strength in depth - you only have to look at the fact Gary Madine has been unable to force his way into the starting XI since signing to see that.
It will be close - Bristol City may be out of form, but they have only lost one of their last five games too - but Cardiff are rightly favourites for this one.
Cardiff are favourites to beat Bristol City, but you can get decent odds of 11/10 from Betfair on a home win - generous considering their recent good form in this fixture.
They have not conceded a goal in any of their last three matches either, though Bristol City have scored six in three - and conceded the same amount. A Cardiff win to nil is 12/5 with Bet365 and Ladbrokes but it may be a risky bet - especially if captain Sean Morrison is absent.
Betfair are offering 11/10 on there being over 2.5 goals in the match, and along similar lines you can get 7/2 on a Cardiff win and BTTS - again, remembering Bristol City have had no problem scoring goals despite their poor form.
Both teams to score has been set at a best price of 10/11 with William Hill.
Junior Hoilett is Cardiff's top scorer this season, but despite that he is a generous 13/8 to score at any time with Ladbrokes.
Cardiff City are in much better form than their rivals from across the border, and have been pretty dominant at home in this fixture in the last 15 years too. The Bluebirds will not have it all their own way, but they are favourites for good reason.
Captain Sean Morrison went off injured in the mid-week win at Ipswich Town and is a doubt for Sunday's game. Armand Traore and Callum Paterson sat out of that game, but are likely to return for the Severnside Derby. Kenneth Zohore scored Cardiff's winner, and is likely to continue to keep Gary Madine sidelined as a result.
Kenneth Zohore scored his fifth goal of the season in the win against Ipswich on Wednesday night. He is five behind top scorer Junior Hoilett, however, with Cardiff having enjoyed goals throughout the team so far this season.
Four wins and a draw in the five games Cardiff have played since losing at home to Manchester City in the FA Cup have seen the Bluebirds pull clear into second place in the Championship. Since a 1-1 draw with Millwall two weeks ago, they have won all three games played to nil - beating Bolton 2-0 and Middlebrough 1-0 at home, and winning 1-0 away at Ipswich on Wednesday thanks to Kenneth Zohore’s strike.
Marlon Pack serves the second game of a two-match ban for picking up ten yellow cards this season, but Nathan Baker returned to the side in midweek after his own suspension ended. Joe Bryan dropped to the bench on Wednesday, but is likely to return in place of Hordur Magnusson. Bristol City still have a long injury list, but Gary O'Neil and Eros Pisano are close to a return. Callum O'Dowda, Jens Hegeler, Milan Djuric and Matty Taylor are longer-term concerns, however.
Bobby Reid now has 16 goals for the season after scoring twice in his last two games for Bristol City. Aden Flint scored Bristol City's winner in the reverse fixture against Cardiff, meanwhile - the big defender has netted eight times this season.
Bristol City have won just once in 2018 - beating QPR at home at the end of January - but have now drawn their last three matches since a 1-0 defeat at Bolton at the start of February. They blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Sunderland, saw a two-goal lead go to waste when they drew 2-2 at Leeds and then came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Fulham on Wednesday thanks to Bobby Reid's strike.
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