- Cardiff have won four of the last six meetings against Sunderland
- The Black Cats won just six away games in the league last season
- Recommended bet: Cardiff to win

Cardiff City and Sunderland clash in Wales on Saturday in their opening match of the 2024-25 Championship campaign and this could turn out to a successful day for the Bluebirds.

Manager Erol Bulut enjoyed a decent first season with the Bluebirds, finishing 12th last term, and he will be eager to build on that and challenge for the play-off positions.

Team news

Cardiff have been hit by a huge injury blow on the eve of the new season, with Isaak Davies undergoing surgery on a hamstring tear and he is now expected to be out until December.

Jamilu Collins is not back until early October due to a leg problem, while Kion Etete is out until November because of a similar issue.

Sunderland centre-back Jenson Seelt has been ruled out until late August after picking up a knee issue back in March, while Pierre Ekwah and Dan Ballard are also unavailable due to injury.

The stats

Cardiff collected 33 points from 23 matches at the Cardiff City Stadium last season, winning 10, drawing three and losing 10 of their assignments.

Having scored just 27 goals at home in the league last term, the Bluebirds have brought in striker Wilfried Kanga, who netted 12 times for Standard Liege in 2023-24, to bolster their ranks.

Sunderland boasted the sixth-worst away record in the Championship last season, winning just six of their games and collecting 24 points.

The Black Cats found the back of the net just 22 times on the road, just six teams had a worse record.

Prediction

There is a sense of the unknown for Sunderland heading into the new campaign, with new manager Regis Le Bris set for his first taste of English football.

Frenchman Le Bris could not stop Lorient from being relegated to Ligue 2 last season, which resulted in him walking away from his post and it is unclear how well his methods will work on Wearside.

The 48-year-old has inherited a young squad that is lacking quality in quite a few departments and his side will find life tough when they make the trip to Wales on Saturday.

Cardiff have added experienced players to their ranks this summer, providing Bulut with more strength in depth and they could be genuine play-off contenders this season.

With a vociferous home crowd behind them, the Bluebirds can get the win and make the perfect start to the campaign.

Back Cardiff to win at 7/4 with LiveScore Bet