Cardiff vs Chelsea prediction: ENGLAND: EFL Cup betting tips on match 2025-12-15 20:00.
[p]The Carabao Cup quarter-finals are kickstarted by a meeting between the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Cardiff City, against a Chelsea team who haven’t lifted this trophy in over a decade.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Whatever happens in this tie, Cardiff can reflect on a sensational run to the last eight of this competition. The Bluebirds have already knocked out higher-ranked opposition in each of the last two rounds, including Premier League Burnley in round three, so have proved that they can carry the underdog tag well. The promotion favourites don’t carry that tag in League One, where a dramatic 99th minute winner at the weekend against Doncaster served as the perfect warm up for this clash and preserved their four-point cushion at the summit. Cardiff’s promotion ambitions will be parked temporarily here for what is their first quarter-final clash in this competition since they reached the final in 2011/12, and with six wins from their last seven games behind them (L1), Brian Barry-Murphy’s men shouldn’t be written off here. [/p]
[p]Chelsea’s build up to this clash has been dominated by Enzo Maresca’s post-match meltdown after their 2-0 victory over Everton at the weekend. Maresca described the 48 hours leading up to that game as the worst since he joined the club, but his cryptic refusal to expand on why left Blues fans pondering where his issue comes from. His outburst came after Chelsea ended their four-match winless run with victory at the weekend, but with just one win from their last five away games (D2, L2), they’re sure to hit the road with a bit of trepidation. Five successive League Cup quarter-final victories should boost belief, but having needed to come from behind to beat Cardiff’s League One promotion rivals Lincoln in round three, this game may not be as one-sided as the odds suggest.[/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Chelsea have won each of the five H2Hs since the turn of the century, although Cardiff did score exactly once in each game. [/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Seven of Cardiff’s last eight games featured over 2.5 goals.[/p]
[p]Five of Cardiff’s last six home matches saw both teams score.[/p]
[p]Chelsea haven’t been knocked out of this competition by lower-league opposition since 2008/09.[/p]
[p]Only one of Chelsea’s last six away games saw them score after the hour mark.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Yousef Salech scored in Cardiff’s round four victory over Wrexham and has netted eight of his 11 goals this term after half-time, including against Doncaster on Saturday. Marc Guiu’s seven goals for Chelsea have all come in cup competitions, with all seven arriving before half-time. [/p]
[p]Cardiff remain without the influential Rubin Colwill, while Chelsea are once again without Liam Delap.[/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Despite the current media storm surrounding Chelsea, we’re backing them to win by a -1 handicap given the evident gulf in quality. [/p]
[p][i]Author: Chris Wilson[/i][/p]