Omer Riza’s side are five points above Luton but still directly above the Championship relegation zone
CARDIFF City face another must-win clash against fellow strugglers tonight (KO 7:45pm) when Luton Town arrive after both sides lost to promotion contenders over the weekend.
Cardiff lost 2-1 at Sunderland, while Luton were thrashed 4-0 at Burnley after ending up down to 10 men.
The Bluebirds are five points above Luton, who are bottom-but-one in the Championship table, while Cardiff in 21st place hover one place above the relegation zone.
After valiant defeats against high-flying Sunderland and Burnley, the more realistic opportunity to win points against a relegation rival heaps pressure on the fixture.
“It’s another must-win game. Luton are in trouble, we’re in trouble and we need to get three points. There’s no other option,” said Riza.
A Cardiff win could leave them as high as 18th by Wednesday evening, depending on the result of tomorrow night’s fixtures with a relegation six-pointer between Oxford City and Hull City, and Stoke City hosting Blackburn Rovers.
That potential rise also depends on the margins of victory and defeat. Cardiff have the third-worst goal difference in the division (-20), and need goals to catch up with Oxford United, who sit three points above Cardiff but have a goal difference of (-16).
Cardiff head into tonight’s game on the back of an underwhelming run of form which has seen them win one, draw two and lose four of their last seven league matches.
However, the last must-win six-pointer against a relegation rival came in the Bluebirds 1-0 home win against Hull, thanks to Callum Robinson’s second-half volley. That showed the could cope with the pressure.
Luton are under even greater pressure. They have won each of their last four Championship games against Cardiff, and will be looking to extend that – but they are in dreadful form.
The Hatters have scored the fewest goals in the Championship this season, and have lost 14 of their last 15 Championship away games, banking only five points from a possible 54 on the road.
Fixture Facts
- Cardiff City have lost each of their last two home championship games against Luton Town (both 1-0 losses).
- Luton have won four of their last five league trips to Wales (L1 in a 2-1 defeat to Swansea earlier this season).
- Cardiff have scored in each of their previous seven home league games and have won three of their last five home games.
- One of the Bluebirds’ most emphatic victories over the Hatters was a 4-0 win in November 2020.
Team News
Cardiff’s Jak Alnwick remains out for the rest of the season with a torn hamstring, while Andy Rinomhota is a doubt after pulling his hamstring last week in Cardiff’s 2-1 defeat against Burnley.
Joe Ralls, Jesper Daland, Ollie Tanner, Yakou Meite and David Turnbull also remain unavailable due to injury.
Meanwhile, Luton are without Kai Naismith after he was sent off against Burnley on the weekend. Centre back Mark McGuinness is set to replace him.
Luton also remain without star player, Tahith Chong, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.
Predicted Line Ups
- Tune into our live coverage on The Cardiffian’s X/Twitter page starting at 7pm.
