News
Cardiff Metropolis host Stoke in the Championship as Erol Bulut’s aspect survey to kick-start their season after a demanding lag.
The Bluebirds have been improved in midweek against Blackburn Rovers but did now not rating in a 0-0 plan. Cardiff have gained staunch one sport of their closing eight, losing six of them, and have now not gained at home since December 9. They have also did now not rating a objective at home since Boxing Day.
They welcome a Stoke aspect who’re in even worse form and sit down five locations under them in Nineteenth in the Championship table. Enroll to our Cardiff Metropolis on an everyday basis newsletter here.
Yakou Meite can be aid for after missing the closing two video games with a calf harm. Republic of Ireland duo Callum O’Dowda and Callum Robinson are also coaching but are probably to be now not but ready to characteristic, however Bulut hopes the extinct can fetch some action next week and leading into the worldwide atomize, which may maybe be a titanic boost for the Bluebirds.
Jak Alnwick wants one more week sooner than he’s entirely fit and ready to play over again, whereas Perry Ng and Joe Ralls are each and every in contention to start at home this day.
Team news is anticipated around 2pm, with paunchy live match updates under from 3pm.
Cardiff Metropolis: Horvath; Ng, Goutas, Phillips; Wilson-Esbrand, Ralls (c), Siopis, R.Colwill, Grant; Bowler, Etete
Subs: Turner, Romeo, Collins, Wintle, J.Colwil, Turnbull, Meite, Ashford, Diedhou
Stoke Metropolis: Iversen; Thompson, Rose, Wilmot, Manhoef; Baker, Burger, Cundle; Bae, Ennis, Tchamadeu
Subs: Bonham, Gooch, Pearson, Vidigal, Campbell, Hoever, Leris, Laurent, Lowe
5 minsKEY EVENT
GOAL! Cardiff Metropolis 1-0 Stoke Metropolis (Etete)
CARDIFF HAVE SCORED A GOAL AT HOME.
Ralls delivers the nook in opposition to the come post. It takes a flee off Thompson and falls kindly for Etete, whose header eludes everyone and goes into the get.
1-0 Cardiff.
5 minsTom Coleman
Colwill has a crack
True outisde the D. Takes a deflection off Rose and goes over.
Nook.
4 minsTom Coleman
Stoke having fun with some possession
Visitors having fun with a neat spell in these opening couple of minutes, but Cardiff are pressing reasonably effectively.
Bowler charges down a prolonged ball from Thompson. Thrwo goes Stoke’s approach.
Rose looks to slump prolonged over again moments later. It is charged down by Ng this time. Objective kick.
1 minsTom Coleman
Early stress
Rose looks to play it aid to the keeper early on.
Pass perfect staunch makes it, with Kion Etete lurking.
KEY EVENT
Kick-off
We’re underway at CCS.
Tom Coleman
Right here arrive the groups
Both aspects assemble their approach out from the tunnel.
Kick-off at CCS is correct moments away.
Tom Coleman
Warmth-usaunderway
Both groups going thru their pre-match routines sooner than kick-off here.
It is miles a runt bit cool at the Cardiff Metropolis Stadium, irrespective of the stress-free wash of sunshine.
Tom Coleman
Match stats
- Five of the closing six meetings between Cardiff and Stoke have ended as a plan – the various modified into once a 2-1 win for the Bluebirds in March 2022.
- Stoke Metropolis are winless of their closing five away league video games against Cardiff Metropolis (D3 L2) since a 1-0 win in August 2007.
- Stoke Metropolis did now not lose any of their closing five league video games below Steven Schumacher (W2 D3) but have since misplaced five of their closing six matches (W1).
- Since netting four objectives in a 4-1 league win over Rotherham United of their opening match of this season’s Championship, Stoke have averaged staunch 0.8 objectives of their 32 league video games since (26 in 32 video games), scoring more than once in precisely one in all their closing 15 video games.
Tom Coleman
Three adjustments
Captain Joe Ralls returns to the starting line-up for this day’s conflict. He is available in for Ryan Wintle, who drops to the bench this day.
Within the intervening time, Perry Ng and Josh Wilson-Esbrand are most neatly-favored to Mahlon Romeo and Jamilu Collins, each and every of whom are also among the substitutes this day.
Stoke have long gone with six adjustments for this conflict, with Daniel Iversen returning in objective.
Tchamadeu, Burger, Manhoef, Junho and Ennis are also drafted in.
Tom Coleman
TEAM NEWS – Stoke Metropolis
And here is how the visitors line up…
Within the red nook pic.twitter.com/oq4Cp01YcK
— Stoke Metropolis FC (@stokecity) February 24, 2024
KEY EVENT
TEAM NEWS – Cardiff Metropolis
Right here is how Cardiff line up this afternoon.
Cardiff Metropolis: Horvath; Ng, Goutas, Phillips; Wilson-Esbrand, Ralls (c), Siopis, R.Colwill, Grant; Bowler, Etete
Subs: Turner, Romeo, Collins, Wintle, J.Colwil, Turnbull, Meite, Ashford, Diedhou
Tom Coleman
Team news in 15
We are going to have this day’s groups in around quarter-hour or so.
Tom Coleman
Blackburn ‘restored quite a bit of self perception’
Some options from Erol Bulut in this day’s programme notes.
“Following a demanding lag of outcomes, we build in a appropriate performance here on Tuesday evening against Blackburn that restored quite a bit of self perception in the squad. Defensively we have been solid, performed with proper commitment and on one more day would have taken all three ingredients in situation of one. We created some appropriate chances and staunch have to be just a runt more scientific after we win ourselves in those positions this afternoon.
“After I first came to Cardiff closing summer, I did so as a result of I believe lets achieve some huge things together. I mute believe we are succesful of; every now and then it be about coming thru demanding spells united, studying from them and the employ of them to appropriate carry out as you move ahead. We’re constructing and we are succesful of achieve so together, on and off the sphere.”
Tom Coleman
Horvath’s bullish sooner than Stoke conflict
Double promotion-winner Ethan Horvath believes the membership is in a identical situation to Luton Town the season sooner than they bought promoted and sees no the reason why they are able to’t make on this marketing campaign in the summer and start for the end six next year.
Horvath has gained aid-to-aid promotions out of the Championship with Nottingham Woodland and Luton Town. It looks highly unlikely he’ll assemble that three in a row, but he hopes that Cardiff have the equivalent hallmarks as his time with the Hatters, where they made marginal positive factors the season sooner than they eventually achieved an unlikely promotion to the Premier League.
“After I first went to Luton, for myself, options about promotion have been now not there, it modified into once about minutes,” he acknowledged. “What came about came about and I’m happy that they’re in the Premier League.
“Coming here, I make now not take a look at why [we can’t achieve promotion], I take a look at quite a bit of quality in the players. There is a project in situation so confidently we are succesful of have a very great carry out to the season and let’s have a study what happens in the summer. I make now not take a look at why we are succesful of now not assemble a push for the end six.”
The United States global has also spoken of the affect extinct Bluebirds and Manchester United supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had on his profession.
The goalkeeper enjoyed the early fragment of his profession at Norwegian membership Molde below the ex-striker, who moved aid to his homeland after being sacked following a cross reign in south Wales.
However, Solskjaer went on to achieve success with Molde and Horvath gained two titles whereas in Norway. Talking about Solskjaer, Horvath acknowledged: “To arrive here, there wasn’t any affect by Ole at all. I do know he had a appropriate time here and he enjoyed the membership and town. My first ride with him modified into once unbelievable, he’s an unprecedented guy, a high coach and a high person. The years I spent with him have been very appropriate.
“I performed Europa League with him at Molde which modified into once ride, we performed some appropriate groups and had a very profitable lag there. Those are memories I may always have to survey aid on with him.
“I came over to Europe after I modified into once 16, so no doubt early. The indisputable truth that I came over so young I believe I modified into once 19 after I first started having fun with for them. That modified into once my first group, that’s something I may always have to be gay about as a result of that modified into once my first opportunity in European football.”
Tom Coleman
Welcome
Afternoon Bluebirds.
Cardiff Metropolis are aid in Championship action over over again this day, with Stoke Metropolis the visitors to the Cardiff Metropolis Stadium.
As ever, group news can be shedding at 2pm, and it is probably you’ll more than probably more than probably well more than probably follow updates from what is shaping as much as be a vital conflict for Erol Bulut’s males just appropriate for the length of the afternoon.
Stick around.