CARDIFF LOOK TO GO INTO BREAK WITH FIRST WIN
Cardiff City are back in the Welsh Capital as they host boyhood Bluebird Nathan Jones and Charlton Athletic.
The Opposition:
In the Addicks' first season back in the second tier, Nathan Jones guided Charlton to a 19th-place finish.
With Charlton looking to build on their first season back, they have added plenty of new faces over the summer. The Addicks have added Karlan Grant from West Brom, Millenic Alli from Luton Town, Oliver Skipp from Leicester City, Ivan Mesík from Heracles Almelo, Danny McNamara from Millwall, Nathaniel Chalobah from Sheffield Wednesday, Billy Koumetio from Dundee, Junior Nkeng from AFC Wimbledon, Arthur Okonkwo from Wrexham, Timothy Ouma from Slavia Prague, and Tyler Bindon from Nottingham Forest.
Nathan Jones favours an intense, direct style built around aggressive pressing, quick transitions and getting the ball forward early. His sides typically look to win second balls, attack with pace and use energetic wide players, while maintaining a compact defensive structure without the ball.
The Bluebirds:
City come into this one on the back of a devastating defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers. Despite Cardiff's dominance, Thierry Gale netted in the 90th-minute to extend the Bluebirds' winless run to seven.
Cardiff can counter Jones’ intensity by using quick, short passing combinations to draw the press forward before exploiting the space left behind. Rotating midfielders and pushing full-backs high can create overloads, while rapid switches of play can isolate defenders and stretch Jones’ compact shape. The key is to remain patient in possession and avoid getting dragged into a physical, transition-heavy game.
Opposition Player to Watch:
Jamaican international Tyreece Campbell has had an excellent start to the new campaign. Campbell is a direct, explosive winger who relies on his pace and acceleration to attack defenders and drive into space. He likes to cut inside from wide areas, combine quickly with teammates and use his dribbling to create chances or get shots away.
The winger is a homegrown talent at Charlton, having made his debut for the club in February 2022. Campbell has made 178 appearances for the Addicks, netting twenty-two times and assisting twelve. The 23-year-old has four goals in eight appearances this season.
Last Meeting:
Cardiff City 0-0 Charlton Athletic (2020)
You have to go back to lockdown for the last time these two sides met, with the Addicks being Cardiff's second opponents in front of an empty CCS.
It was a bore draw in the end. The Bluebirds went on to register a play-off finish, with Charlton relegated.
Team News:
Cardiff City - Dylan Lawlor available for the first time this season. Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, and Will Fish remain out for the Bluebirds.
Charlton Athletic - Josh Edwards back available after long absence. Collins Sichenje, Kayne Ramsay, Will Mannion, Matt Godden, Billy Koumetio, and Nathaniel Chalobah to miss out for the visitors.
Preferred XI:
GK - Nathan Trott
RB - Perry Ng
RCB - Gabriel Osho
LCB - Krystian Bielik
LB - Calum Scanlon
CDM - Alex Robertson
CM - David Turnbull
CAM - Jack Moylan
RW - Cian Ashford
LW - Chris Willock
ST - Callum Robinson
Score Prediction:
Cardiff City 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Absolutely screams of it.
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