Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ian Mitchelmore & Mathew Davies & Tom Coleman

Cardiff City v Swansea City exact scoreline predicted — our writers give South Wales derby verdicts

Wales' two Championship clubs return from the international break with a bang as Cardiff City host Swansea City this weekend.

The Swans secured a historic double in the fixture last season and go into Saturday's match in the capital with the ability to seal another double having beaten the Bluebirds 2-0 earlier on in the campaign courtesy of strikes from Ollie Cooper and Michael Obafemi.

But how will the second and final meeting of the season between the sides pan out?

This is how our writers think the match will play out...

READ MORE: Reading admit defeat over six-point deduction as Cardiff City's relegation rivals set for deep trouble

Ian Mitchelmore (Swansea City correspondent)

Swansea claimed a vital morale-boosting win before the international break against Bristol City, although Cardiff, despite the shambles of the fixture at Rotherham United, have certainly improved under Sabri Lamouchi, claiming 10 of the 18 points on offer since beating Birmingham City.

The Bluebirds are without Callum Robinson but Callum O'Dowda looks likely to be involved which will be a huge plus for the hosts, although Joe Allen, Jay Fulton and Joel Latibeaudiere are all available for the Swans which massively improves their squad options.

If Russell Martin's men can control play, quieten the crowd and show the same kind of bravery and accuracy they have in recent meetings between the sides, they will win.

Cardiff do have goal threats in their side now though, so, despite being comfortably the lowest scorers in the division, they will feel confident if they can net the opener.

It's a far harder one to call that the home game this season, but I feel Swansea will edge it.

Score prediction: Cardiff City 0-1 Swansea City

Tom Coleman (football writer)

Cardiff have struggled to lay a glove on Swansea in the last three meetings and, for that reason alone, you could forgive many in the capital for greeting this fixture with a powerful sense of dread.

Certainly Cardiff are the ones under greater pressure to win this game. Allowing their most bitter rivals to record another league double over them is quite simply unthinkable. That's before you get on to the fact they still need the points to stave off relegation.

Swansea's season has, as a whole, gone totally off the rails in the last few months, but that win over Bristol City might just have eased a few nerves in their camp, and the lack of anything meaningful to play for in terms of their wider season perhaps takes the jeopardy out of it a little.

My main concern from a Swans point of view is the number of individual errors that keep cropping up. Their backline has conceded just two goals fewer than QPR and Wigan, who currently boast the division's joint-worst defensive record, and it's difficult to back them to get a clean sheet anywhere as result.

You just feel Cardiff are going to have at least one great chance. If they're going to get anything from this game, they simply have to take it.

Then again, we're talking about a team that's currently boasting the lowest goal tally in the Championship right now, so that's hardly a given. Swansea, in contrast, have found goals reasonably easy to come by this term, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if both sides manage to find the net.

Score prediction: Cardiff City 1-1 Swansea City

Mat Davies (head of football)

The fact this game comes after a two-week break following Wales' internationals will only heighten the anticipation.

Cardiff will still be feeling aggrieved over what happened at Rotherham United and I think that will come into play here.

Cardiff have performed so poorly in this fixture in recent times, and this should serve them with motivation enough to not lose this match.

Swansea, the Bristol City win aside, have been poor in the last few months but always seem to save their best performances for their most fierce rivals.

I suspect it will be a 0-0 or a 1-1 draw but I'll put my neck on the line and say a narrow home win. Cardiff need it more and if they lose they remain in deep, deep trouble.

Score prediction: Cardiff City 1-0 Swansea City

READ MORE:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.