MY ACCOUNT
– Blackburn have lost four of their last five in all competitions
– Cardiff have drawn four games in a row in the Championship
– Recommended bet: Cardiff double chance
Cardiff will look to extend their unbeaten run to five matches when they travel to face Blackburn at Ewood Park on Sunday.
Blackburn have been inside the Championship playoffs since mid-October, but they have struggled either side of the World Cup break and signed off for 2022 with a 2-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough.
Challenging for a top-two finish looks like an increasingly tall order, but Rovers are hoping to stay around the race for the top six places.
Cardiff showed resilience to dig out a 0-0 draw at Coventry on Thursday, but they sit just three points above the relegation zone.
Team news
Busy Blackburn played four matches in the second half of December, and the strain on their squad increased when midfielder John Buckley was red-carded during the midweek loss to Middlesbrough.
Buckley misses the next three games and is likely to be joined on the sidelines by injured trio Sammie Szmodics, Tyrhys Dolan and Jack Vale, who have been absent for the post-Christmas fixtures.
Cardiff midfielder Ebou Adams (knee) has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and is unlikely to feature in the near future.
However, central defender Sean Morrison (knee) has featured for the under-21s and could be close to a first-team return.
The stats
Blackburn remain the only team in the EFL to have avoided any league draws, and they are in the playoff places despite a goal difference of minus one.
Rovers have been beaten 12 times, just one fewer than basement boys Wigan, and four of their losses have come in the last five matches.
Cardiff are the lowest scorers in the Championship, with only 20 goals in 25 matches.
They have failed to win any of their last six matches and are on a run of four successive draws, including post-Christmas 0-0’s at home to Cardiff and away to Coventry.
Prediction
Cardiff are likely to be searching for a striker in the January transfer window, but they have kept clean sheets in two of their last three away games, and their solid defence can help them pick up at least a point at Ewood Park.
Bluebirds’ manager Mark Hudson was a central defender in his playing career and has got the team well organised since taking the job, initially on an interim basis, in mid-September.
Hudson’s side will have taken great heart from their goalless draw away to playoff-chasing Coventry, who had scored in their previous eight home fixtures.
And they may fancy their chances of nicking a goal or two against out-of-sorts Rovers, who have lost three successive home games, conceding ten goals in the process.
Rovers’ manager Jon Dahl Tomasson works with a lot of young players, so it should not be a major surprise that they have been so inconsistent.
Blackburn went into their early November fixture away to Burnley needing a victory to go top of the table.
However, they begin the New Year 11 points outside the top two and are likely to be more concerned with defending a playoff place than pushing for automatic promotion.
Rovers had to play with ten men for most of the second half in Thursday’s single-goal loss to Middlesbrough, and tired legs could influence the contest against Cardiff. With that in mind, Hudson’s side should be able to leave Lancashire with at least a point, and they are available at 4/7 in the double chance market with LiveScore Bet.
