Cardiff vs Leeds prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-01-12 15:00.
Cardiff City were beaten 4-0 by Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup last weekend, though the scoreline doesnāt tell the whole story as the Bluebirds had two penalties saved inside the opening ten minutes! Manager Erol Bulut was forced to miss the game through illness but will return to the dugout here looking to switch the collective focus back to the Championship. Cardiff start the round in ninth and just three points off the top six, but a return of just two wins in seven competitive games (D1, L4) threatens to derail their push for promotion in a congested mid-table.
Up next are Leeds United, one of the sides occupying the play-off places and trying to keep the likes of Cardiff at bay. The hosts hold a solid recent H2H home record to inspire them, winning seven of the last 11 clashes against Leeds at this venue (D2, L2), but no win in six games against teams that finished the last round inside the top five (D1, L5) – like Leeds – will likely raise concern.
Leeds fared better in weekend cup action, seeing off League Oneās Peterborough United in style (3-0) with Patrick Bamfordās second-half strike already a contender for the clubās goal of the season. They beat Birmingham City by the same scoreline in league action a week earlier, making it seven Championship games won āto nilā so far this season – the joint-fourth most coming into the round.
While the visitors come into the gameweek with a comfortable nine-point gap to Hull in ninth, if they have any ambitions of closing the seven-point distance between themselves and second-placed Ipswich, then Daniel Farkeās side must improve on the road. That's because theyāve won only one of their past five away Championship games (D1, L3) and have netted more than once in just one of their last seven league trips.
Key battle: Cardiff defender Dimitrios Goutas comes into the round having made the second-most interceptions in the Championship (52). Heāll have to keep a close eye on fellow defender Ethan Ampadu who will be high on confidence after netting his first two goals of the campaign for Leeds against Peterborough.
Hot stat: Just five of Leedsā 13 away league games have seen both sides score – only Sheffield Wednesday have taken part in fewer such games on the road (four).