Championship promotion hopefuls Burnley will travel to the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday to take on Cardiff City.
The Bluebirds are fifth last in 20th place with just 36 points but managed to beat relegation rivals Hull City 1-0 on February 25, while the Clarets are third in the table with 68 points and emerged as 4-0 victors against Sheffield Wednesday on February 21.
Match preview
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Cardiff edged a close contest thanks to Callum Robinson's 52nd-minute winner last time out, and though the victors failed to create a big chance, they restricted Hull to no big chances and just one shot on target despite having only 33% possession.
Boss Omer Riza's team were eliminated from the FA Cup when they lost 2-0 on Friday against Premier League club Aston Villa, a game in which they also failed to create a big chance.
The Bluebirds are only five points above 22nd-placed Luton Town, who occupy the third and final relegation spot, but the Hatters have played a game more than the Welsh team.
Cardiff have proven difficult to beat in the past two months given they have drawn six, won four and lost only two of their last 12 Championship outings, and they have picked up more points (8) in their last six than eight of the bottom 12.
The hosts' form at home has been strong, with the club undefeated in their six most recent fixtures at the Cardiff City Stadium in the second tier, achieving victory in three of their past four.
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Meanwhile, the visitors were ruthless in front of goal against Sheffield Wednesday, finding the back of the net four times from an xG total of just 1.46, whereas their opponents failed to convert any of their three big chances.
Burnley succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Preston North End on Saturday in the FA Cup fifth round, but it should be noted that the loss was just the second time they conceded any goals in their past 15 games.
Scott Parker's side are only five points from second-placed Sheffield United, who occupy the final automatic promotion spot, but boast the advantage of having a game in hand.
Parker will be confident his team can take all three points on Tuesday considering they beat Cardiff 5-0 on August 17, and the victory was their fourth win in five matches against the Bluebirds.
Burnley are unbeaten in their last 21 Championship games – winning 12 – and have kept 12 consecutive clean sheets.
The Clarets' showings away from home have also been excellent given they have triumphed in six and drawn four of their past 10 on the road, preventing their opponents from scoring on nine occasions in that period.
Team News
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Cardiff centre-back Dimitrios Goutas remains suspended following his red card against Plymouth Argyle on February 22, while fellow defender Jesper Daland and goalkeeper Jak Alnwick will miss out due to injury.
William Fish and Perry Ng may start in front of shot-stopper Ethan Horvath given the trio played together against Hull.
Midfielder David Turnbull could return to action this month, but Tuesday's game will likely come too soon, so expect Sivert Mannsverk and Calum Chambers to appear in a double pivot.
Elsewhere, winger Ollie Tanner has been ruled out, and his absence may mean Chris Willock and Cian Ashford will flank striker Yousef Salech.
Burnley attacker Aaron Ramsey is back in training following a cruciate ligament injury, but it would be surprising if he featured on Tuesday, and he will almost certainly be joined on the sidelines by forwards Enock Agyei, Mike Tresor and Nathan Redmond.
Perhaps Parker could field an attack consisting of Marcus Edwards, Hannibal Mejbri, Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming.
Centre-back Jordan Beyer's hamstring injury will not keep him from the pitch for much longer, but if his side's game against Cardiff comes too soon, CJ Egan-Riley and Maxime Esteve will likely retain their places in defence from the win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Rinomhota, Fish, Ng, O'Dowda; Mannsverk, Chambers; Willock, Robinson, Ashford; Salech
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Pires; Laurent, Cullen; Edwards, Mejbri, Anthony; Flemming
We say: Cardiff City 0-1 Burnley
Cardiff are likely to be difficult to beat considering their strong record at home, and Tuesday's game may be low scoring.
Burnley will want to bounce back from their disappointing defeat against Preston, and if they find the back of the net first, it would be surprising if they lost their lead given their defensive performances in recent months.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
