- Cardiff City have failed to score in their last two meetings with Stoke City
- Stoke City have picked up 16 out of a possible 21 points in their last seven matches
- Cardiff City have conceded nine goals in their last two Premier League matches
Cardiff City are looking to build on last week’s shocking win over Southampton by giving a serious push to their relegation fight with another three points against Stoke City.
The Bluebirds return home to Cardiff City Stadium to host the Potters at 10:00am ET on NBCSN or live online at NBC Sports Live Extra.
While they’ve been great at home, the Potters have had question form away from the Britannia this season, and the match represents a great chance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to put together a real late-season push out of the drop zone.
In 19th position and three points from safety, the Bluebirds will look to pounce if either Fulham or Norwich falter this weekend against Spurs and Liverpool respectively.
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Stoke, however, come into Cardiff City Stadium in fantastic form, with five wins and a draw in their last seven games. This comes after having just six wins in the previous 27 league matches.
Mark Hughes has somehow figured how to get his club more motivated despite mathematical safety, something that often leaves teams with no motivation and lots of slacking off.
Aside from a 3-0 loss to Chelsea two weeks ago, Stoke have not conceded more than one goal in any match since February 8, and only three times total in 2014.
Stoke will also receive an injury boost, with midfielder Charlie Adam having completed successful surgery on his broken nose and will be reportedly fit and ready to play. Oussama Assaidi is fit enough to travel with the team, but it is unsure if he will be ready to play.
Cardiff City are equally as healthy, with just Craig Noone and Mark Hudson a sure miss. Kenwyne Jones is questionable for the match.
What they’re saying:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on signing up for a relegation battle: “Football’s all about opinions; People can disagree, as long as they don’t work in the same club as me. When we’re in the same club, we’ve got to have one vision. In football, you’re not better than your weakest link. I came in with a clear vision, and a clear understanding that I would run the football club.”
Stoke’s Peter Crouch on Hughes’s style of play: “We are trying to adapt the style of play. I think it is ridiculous to get away from all the factors of the previous manager. He left a good team and a club in the right place and has done a fantastic job at Palace as well. But ever since the new manager came in at Stoke we have enjoyed working with him. We have bought into his ideas and he has brought in some more quality to add to the side. I believe we are changing people’s perceptions of the club.”
Prediction:
Stoke City have made the Britannia a fortress, losing there just twice all season. However, they remain baffled on the road. Despite their recent successes, Mark Hughes’s group has just five points out of their last nine away matches. It’s easy to see a fluky Cardiff goal being the undoing of the Potters, who slump to a disappointing 1-1 draw as their road woes continue.