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Preview: Wycombe Wanderers vs. Cardiff City - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Championship clash between Wycombe Wanderers and Cardiff City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Cardiff City will be looking to get their Championship playoff push back on track when they face the division's bottom side Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday evening.

The Bluebirds are 12th, seven points adrift of the top six with nearly half of the season played, while Wycombe are four points from safety in 24th place.


Match preview

Cardiff City manager Neil Harris pictured in October 2020© Reuters

Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman made clear at the end of a transfer window in which Neil Harris was well-backed that promotion was the sole aim for the club.

Harris was set the target of being in the top six come the new year, but that is now an impossible task following Saturday's 3-2 loss to Brentford.

Will Vaulks gave the Bluebirds the lead with an incredible goal from inside his own half, which he later added to with a second, but only after Sergi Canos had struck a hat-trick.

That was City's third defeat in four matches and means that the highest they can end 2020 is in 10th place. No wonder, then, that Harris admits that the pressure is now on.

If finishing in the top six is the goal for out-of-form Cardiff, simply staying in the division will suffice for Wycombe, who are competing at this level for the first time.

Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth pictured in September 2020© Reuters

The Chairboys have lost 13 of their 21 matches so far, including four of the last five, and are at risk of being cut adrift at the foot of the table unless they pick up some wins.

It has been 12 games since Gareth Ainsworth's men last won a Championship match, however, with that coming away to Birmingham City on November 4.

Wanderers are without a clean sheet in the last eight of those matches, with no side conceding more than their 31 goals. Their return of 13 goals scored, meanwhile, is the third worst in the division.

This is not exactly a fixture Wycombe tend to do all that well in, either, losing each of their last four encounters against Cardiff, albeit with the most recent of those games coming in April 2003.

In the Bluebirds' starting lineup that day was a certain Gareth Ainsworth. Now the Wycombe boss has a huge challenge on his hands in ending that run in the hope of keeping his side in the division.

Wycombe Wanderers Championship form: DLLLDL

Cardiff City Championship form: WWLWLL


Team News

Cardiff City's Harry Wilson celebrates scoring with teammates against Barnsley on November 3, 2020© Reuters

Harris went with a slightly more attack-minded side for the loss to Brentford, with Harry Wilson shifting into a central position just off Robert Glatzel.

The formation is likely to remain the same for this trip to Adams Park, though Mark Harris and Josh Murphy are among those pushing for inclusion.

With a quick turnaround in fixtures, the likes of Marlon Pack and Greg Cunningham provide some more fresh legs for the visitors should they wish to rotate.

Darius Charles and Curtis Thompson returned to Wycombe's starting lineup last time out following lengthy spells out, but it remains to be seen if they will start twice in a row.

Anis Mehmeti, on the scoresheet in Wanderers's previous game, dropped to the bench but should be in contention to feature from the beginning on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, striker Adebayo Akinfenwa is seeking his first league goal of the campaign after firing a blank in 17 matches so far, 10 of those being starts.

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Grimmer, McCarthy, Knight, Jacobson; Bloomfield, Wheeler, Freeman, McCleary; Akinfenwa, Kashket

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Cunningham; Vaulks, Pack; Ojo, Wilson, Murphy; Glatzel


SM words green background

We say: Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Cardiff City

Defeat for Cardiff on Tuesday may well spell the end for boss Harris. The Bluebirds needs to get their campaign on track and, given their opponents' disappointing run of form, we can see them coming away from Adams Park with three vital points.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data


ID:428117:cQx

How you voted: Wycombe vs Cardiff

Wycombe Wanderers
15.6%
Draw
8.9%
Cardiff City
75.6%
45
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Norwich CityNorwich23145431201147
2Swansea CitySwansea23127427131443
3Bournemouth22118337181941
4Brentford22118336211541
5Reading2312473428640
6Middlesbrough21106528171136
7Stoke CityStoke239862622435
8Watford219752417734
9Barnsley2310492729-234
10Bristol City2210392324-133
11Blackburn RoversBlackburn2395938271132
12Preston North EndPreston23102113031-132
13Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2394102832-431
14Luton TownLuton228682024-430
15Cardiff CityCardiff228592925429
16Coventry CityCoventry236892231-926
17Millwall2151061820-225
18Birmingham CityBirmingham2358101729-1223
19Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2357111626-1022
20Queens Park RangersQPR224992030-1021
21Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2367101523-819
22Derby CountyDerby2247111424-1019
23Rotherham UnitedRotherham2044121929-1016
24Wycombe WanderersWycombe2336141635-1915

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