The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough last Thursday, while Cardiff played out a goalless draw against Coventry on the same day.
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Blackburn Rovers will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Cardiff City in an EFL Championship fixture at Ewood Park on New Year’s Day. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough last Thursday, while Cardiff played out a goalless draw against Coventry on the same day. Despite the defeat, the Rovers are still occupying third spot in the English second tier standings, having collected 39 points from 25 games, while the visitors are languishing at the 20th position, with just 28 points to their name. Meanwhile, the previous meeting between these two sides in October, ended in a 1-0 victory for the Bluebirds, courtesy of Mark Harris’ 83rd-minute winner.
📆 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙂𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘽𝙮: 𝙍𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙨
Looking back at the journeys of both clubs over the past 30 years 👇#CityAsOne
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 31, 2022
Since the resumption of competitive action after the World Cup break, the Rovers have struggled to get going, having lost four of their last five games across all competitions. Their previous match against the Boro’s ended in a loss, despite the fact that Ryan Hedges put Jan Dahl Tomasson’s side ahead inside the opening five minutes. Meanwhile, the Blue and Whites’ only win this month came against Norwich City (2-0) on December 17, courtesy of Ben Gibson’s 4th-minute own goal and Tyrhys Dolan’s strike, four minutes from time.
Cardiff. On the other hand, they are undefeated in their last four league-games, having collected four points in those fixtures. The Bluebirds’ last two games have ended in goalless draws. But that doesn’t tell the whole story, as they are winless in their last six-games and remain candidates for relegation. Their last victory came against Sunderland on November 5, through Harris’ lone goal, four minutes into the second half.
Blackburn Rovers midfielder John Buckley will miss out due to suspension, therefore Lewis Travis could partner Morton in the engine room. Meanwhile, the likes of Sammie Szmodics and Dolan are sidelined with injuries. As for Cardiff, head coach Mark Hudson is unlikely to make too many changes to the side that earned a point away to Coventry on Thursday. Defender Mahlon Romeo is occupying the treatment room, therefore Tom Sang is expected to start at the right-pack position. Harris, will continue to lead the line, with Colwill, Rinomhota and Philogene-Bidance in support.
Blackburn Rovers probable starting lineup: Kaminski, Rankin-Costello, Ayala, Hyam, Pickering, Morton, Travis, Hedges, Dack, Brereton-Diaz, Gallagher
Cardiff City probable starting lineup: Allsop, Romeo, Ng, Kipre, O’Dowda, Wintle, Ralls, Philogene-Bidance, Rinomhota, Colwill, Harris
Blackburn Rovers
| Opponents | Score |
| Middlesbrough | 1-2 (L) |
| Sunderland | 2-1 (L) |
| Nottingham Forest | 1-4 (L) |
| Norwich City | 0-2 (W) |
| Preston North End | 1-4 (L) |
Cardiff City
| Opponents | Score |
| Coventry | 0-0 (D) |
| QPR | 0-0 (D) |
| Blackpool | 1-1 (D) |
| Stoke City | 2-2 (D) |
| Aston Villa | 3-1 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Cardiff beat Blackburn | 1-0 |
| Blackburn beat Cardiff | 0-1 |
| Blackburn beat Cardiff | 5-1 |
| Cardiff draw Blackburn | 2-2 |
| Blackburn draw Cardiff | 0-0 |
The EFL Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City will take place at Ewood Park on Sunday at 5:30 pm IST.
| Blackburn Rovers vs Cardiff City | Key Details |
| Date | January 1 |
| Venue | Ewood Park |
| Kickoff time in the UK | 12:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 5:30 pm |
For the football fans in the UK, live telecast of the match will be available on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Go Extra, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Ultra HD.
