Cardiff vs Liverpool
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium
Kick-off time: 4:00pm BST
Liverpool will look to avoid slipping up in a tight and captivating Premier League title race when they visit relegation-threatened Cardiff this afternoon.
The Reds returned to the top-flight summit and restored their two-point advantage over Manchester City last weekend with victory over Chelsea, though their next fixture in the Welsh capital comes over 24 hours after Pep Guardiola's side meet Tottenham in a rematch of their Champions League thriller at the Etihad.
Liverpool secured their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League in midweek after following up a 2-0 home win over FC Porto with a comfortable 4-1 triumph in Portugal.
The stakes are just as high for Cardiff, who are desperate to ensure that their latest Premier League stint does not come to an end after just one season.
The pre-season relegation favourites still sit 18th but now only two points away from safety with four matches remaining after a timely 2-0 win at Brighton that dragged the free-falling Seagulls further into a dogfight.
Cardiff vs Liverpool team news and line-ups
Cardiff XI: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Ecuele Manga, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Victor Camarasa, Ralls, Mendez-Laing, Niasse
Subs: Zohore, Josh Murphy, Smithies, Reid, Bacuna, Cunningham, Harris
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane
Subs: Fabinho, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Mignolet, Shaqiri, Origi
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Score prediction: Cardiff 0-3 Liverpool
Neil Warnock is hoping his Bluebirds avoid a "battering" on Sunday and will know that upcoming matches against relegated Fulham and Crystal Palace offer far better chances to escape the dreaded drop.
Cardiff have shipped 31 goals in 10 losses to top-six teams in 2018-19 and 33 in total at home, winning only two of their last eight games on their own patch.
By contrast, Liverpool are aiming for a ninth straight victory across all competitions and have dropped just two points against teams in the bottom half of the table all season.
It is difficult to foresee anything other than a very straightforward away win.
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