Cardiff - Burton

Cardiff started new campaign with a home draw against Sheff.Utd. (1-1). They can be a little bit disappointed as there was a one way traffic when Utd. got a red card. Defence line isn’t still an iron one, but attacking force is great. For tonight’s game Dave Jones can’t rotate players too much from a simply reason, due to recent transfer embargo he doesn’t have enough players for it! Against Blades, only 4 players were substitutes. Cardiff passed the first round in all but one of the last 8 years and have reached the third round in each of the last 3 seasons. Goalie Tom Heaton will replace injured David Marshall, defender Kevin McNaughton is in doubt and new on-loan signing Seyi Olofinjana won’t be involved.

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Burton is an average League Two side, last season they finished 13^th. Interesting fact is they conceded 71 goals in 46 games which is 3^rd highest number in the league (scored the same number though). Weak defence and attacking approach surely isn’t a way how any team should face Cardiff away. Cup history isn’t bright, as well. Just one appearing, last year and disaster at Reading 1-5. Burton also have one game in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and lost against Chesterfield with the same result. Defender Darren Moore is injured and probably won’t be risked, the same situation is with the right-back Andrew Corbett. Midfielder Jacques Maghoma is away on international duty with DR Congo.

 

I expect a strong eleven from Dave Jones and have an impression players feel a little bit frustrated after missed to score few more times against Blades at Sunday. This is a perfect opponent to heal their complexes. Chopra (I expect him to start) would like to go. Good, this is a great chance for him to show some skills to the visiting scouts. Against Burton’s defence, he should run the riot.

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Bet: Cardiff -1.25

Odd: 1.95 bet365

Stake: 7/10

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Gamble: Chopra to score hat-trick

Odd: 19.00 bet365

Stake: 0.5/10

Charlton 2-2 Cardiff

A superb late goal from Gabor Gyepes kept alive Cardiff's increasingly slim hopes of automatic promotion.
Relegated Charlton went ahead when the Cardiff defence flapped at Lloyd Sam's cross, 17-year-old Jonjo Shelvey on hand to toe-poke past Tom Heaton.
Nicky Bailey rammed in a second when Cardiff failed to clear a corner, before Chris Burke gave the visitors hope with a surging run and poke home.
With two minutes left Gyepes controlled superbly, turned and drilled the goal.
The Bluebirds slip to fifth in the league, but can still finish second if they win their last two matches and other results go their way.
One more point from those two games would guarantee a play-off spot.
At the end of the match there were calls from some sections of the home support for Addicks manager Phil Parkinson to go.

Charlton manager Phil Parkinson:
"I had an experienced team out there and yet we still looked naive.
"We're a team scarred from the season, when it's happened before, and [against Cardiff] we went into panic mode on and off the ball.
"Cardiff are a good side and I expected a reaction from the weekend and we got that.
"It was a tight game, we got the second goal and that should have been enough.
"The reaction from the supporters is understandable, I'd be feeling the same if I was sat there."

Cardiff manager Dave Jones:
"Saturday was a freak result. At this stage of the season you will get them.
"If we didn't show grit and determination on Saturday then it came flooding back [here] and we deserved to come back into it.
"It would have been hard to come away with nothing because it would have been tough to pick them up and we've got a hard game on Saturday against Ipswich.
"If we had gone into that on the back of two defeats it would have been a nervous occasion.
"But if we've got to limp over the line then we will. We've got to get another point."

Charlton: Elliot, Butterfield, Hudson, Ward, Youga, Sam (Spring 69), Zhi, Racon, Bailey, Shelvey (Holland 82), Burton (Kandol 60).
Subs Not Used: Randolph, Tuna.
Booked: Butterfield, Zhi, Bailey.
Goals: Shelvey 35, Bailey 80.

Cardiff: Heaton, Comminges, Gyepes, Roger Johnson (Purse 90), Kennedy, McCormack, Ledley, Rae, Parry (Eddie Johnson 83), Chopra (Burke 57), Bothroyd.
Subs Not Used: Scimeca, Matthews.
Booked: Bothroyd, Ledley.
Goals: Burke 82, Gyepes 89.
Att: 19,390
Ref: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).
www.bbc.co.uk

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