In the 22nd round of Premier League, we will see 2 of the bottom table teams going against each other as Cardiff hosts Huddersfield at Cardiff City Stadium.
Cardiff are currently 17th in the league with an overall record of 5-3-13 and a 1-1-3 in the last 5 games. They are coming into this match after a defeat against Tottenham (0:3), which was one of the 3 defeats they suffered recently, the other 2 being against Manchester United (1:5) and Watford (3:2). On the bright side, Cardiff drew against Crystal Palace (0:0) and won against Leicester (0:1). In their last match against Tottenham, Cardiff was completely outclassed. Tottenham held the ball for 73% of the time, had 13 goal attempts and 4 shots on goal, while Cardiff had only 27% ball possession, 6 goal attempts and 3 shots on goal. Tottenham scored 3 goals in the first half, with the opener being scored only 3 minutes into the match. They added 2 more goals in 12th and 26th minute. Those 3 goals were all the goals we saw in the match, as Tottenham seemingly decided to defend the margin created in the first half with the more passive approach in the 2nd half. Final score: 0:3.
Huddersfield are currently the last team in the Premier League with an overall record of 2-4-15. The last time Huddersfield ended the match with a positive result was on 25th of November when they defeated Wolves (0:2). In other words, Huddersfield lost all of their last 9 games they played, including the defeat in FA cup against Bristol City. In the last 5 games, Huddersfield was defeated by Newcastle (0:1), Southampton (1:3), Manchester United (3:1), Fulham (1:0) and most recently Burnley (1:2). On 5th of January, they also lost to Bristol City (1:0), an 11th placed team in the Championship League. In their match against Burnley, Huddersfield had 43% ball possession, but only 9 goal attempts and 2 shots on goal, while Burnley had 57% ball possession, 16 goal attempts and 8 shots on goal. The match ended 1:2. The red card Schlindler received in the 41st minute may have changed the course of the match, but Burnley was still a better side and deservingly won.
The last time these two teams met was on the 25th of August 2018, when the match ended 0:0. Historically Cardiff is a better side, as they have won 4 out of their last 5 encounters and that trend just might continue today. Neither of the 2 teams are really performing well recently, however, Cardiff did put up better results compared to Huddersfield. Scoring and conceding goals wise, teams are fairly equal; Cardiff scored 4 and conceded 11 in the last 5 games, while Huddersfield scored 3 and conceded 10. But here I must mention, Cardiff did concede 5 against Manchester United and 3 against Tottenham. As far as the upcoming match goes, Huddersfield will be without Mooy, Sabiri and Williams, while Smith’s appearance questionable. Cardiff will be without Zohore, while Harris, Richards and Ward are questionable. I believe Cardiff has an edge over Huddersfield in the upcoming match, simply due to their decent performances at home and better overall performance in recent games. In addition, Cardiff can’t afford to lose this match as it could result in them dropping back into the relegation zone if Southampton manages to upset Leicester.
Prediction: Cardiff to win
Odds: 2.18 Pinnacle
