Promotion chasing Cardiff City welcome Bournemouth to Cardiff City Stadium in the stand-out tie from the eighth round of 2021-22 Sky Bet Championship season.
Victory could put Cardiff as high as fifth whereas Bournemouth could go top with a win coupled with defeats for Fulham and West Brom elsewhere.
Team News
Leandro Bacuna is in contention to return for Cardiff if he can prove his match fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Isaac Vassell (thigh) could also feature but Ryan Giles (Coronavirus), Joe Ralls and Lee Tomlin (both groin) are ruled out.
Bournemouth will welcome Leif Davis back after the youngster missed their wins over Barnsley and QPR with a hamstring injury.
Lewis Cook (knee) and Junior Stanislas (hamstring) remain ruled out.
Stat Attack
- Cardiff are unbeaten in three of four previous Sky Bet Championship matches against Bournemouth (W1, D2, L1).
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in four of their last five league visits to Cardiff (W1, D3, L1).
- Both teams have scored in all four previous Sky Bet Championship matches, with Cardiff scoring seven goals to Bournemouth’s eight goals.
- All four of Cardiff’s bookings in two of their three home league matches this season have come after half-time.
- Just one of Bournemouth’s four away goals have come before half-time – courtesy of David Brooks in a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest last month.
Prediction
Having produced a lacklustre performance in Wednesday’s defeat at Coventry, Cardiff do have work to do and will likely need to get on the front foot quickly given that they have now won just one of their last three matches.
Bournemouth meanwhile just look unstoppable with strong goal threats across the pitch and looked absolutely difficult to beat in the last week, in terms of how they blew Barnsley and QPR away despite the latter managing to snatch a consolatory goal given their strong away form.
On that note, I can see the first goal being crucial but Bournemouth just look too dangerous to be stopped at present so am going for an away win.
Prediction: Cardiff 1-2 Bournemouth
Result: Cardiff 0-1 Bournemouth