Cardiff v Fulham: Championship play-off semi-final, first leg – live!
27-Jul-2020 18:42:28 | The Guardian
No word from Neil Harris, happy to let his team do the talking. They take to the field in their famous blue shirts, while Fulham sport their equally classic white. A rousing version of Cwm Rhondda pours from the PA speakers. We’ll be off in a little while!
Scott Parker explains the absence of 26-goal Mitrovic ... sort of. “He has been a large part of what we have done this year, so it’s a big blow for us. He’s got a slight problem he’s picked up, and this is over two legs, it’s not going to be decided tonight, so we’ve had to make a calculated decision on getting him right and ready for Thursday. It’s too big a risk tonight for what he’s got. We adapted well [when he was recently suspended for three matches] and people stepped up. That’s going to be needed tonight. We’ve gone three games without him straight after lockdown, so hopefully we can do that again. We’ve come here to try to win.”
Cardiff boss Neil Harris is very much a disciple of the If It Ain’t Broke philosophy. The Bluebirds are three wins on the bounce right now, so he names the same XI that started the 3-0 win over Hull City.
Fulham make three changes to the team named for the 1-1 draw at in-form yet doomed Wigan Athletic. Cyrus Christie, Harrison Reed and Bobby De Cordova-Reid replace Denis Odoi, Harry Arter and Championship top-scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has picked up a knock and been given the night off as a precautionary measure. Ivan Cavaleiro remains hamstrung.
Cardiff City: Smithies, Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett, Pack, Ralls, Tomlin, Mendez-Laing, Hoilett, Glatzel.
Subs: Etheridge, Sanderson, Flint, Bamba, Smith, Vaulks, Murphy, Paterson, Ward.
Fulham: Rodak, Hector, Kebano, Cairney, Ream, Cordova-Reid, Reed, Christie, Bryan, Knockaert, Onomah.
Subs: Bettinelli, Mawson, Sessegnon, Odoi, Le Marchand, McDonald, Johansen, Kamara, Jasper.
The Championship play-offs have a distinctly Cymraeg flavour this season. Swansea are already halfway to the final, having beaten Brentford 1-0 in the first leg of their semi last night. Now it’s their old pals Cardiff’s turn, as the Bluebirds attempt to get a result against Fulham that makes the prospect of an historic South Walian stramash at Wembley that little more likely.
The only problem for Cardiff is that Fulham are one of the form sides in the country right now. Scott Parker’s team have won five and drawn two of their last seven games. The Cottagers ended the season in fourth, one win shy of automatic promotion - and that end-of-season streak included a 2-0 victory over the Bluebirds. They also earned a draw at the Cardiff City Stadium back in August when down to ten men.
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