Cardiff vs Middlesbrough predictions: Battered Boro can bounce back
- Middlesbrough have lost just one of their last seven Championship away games
- Cardiff have lost four of their last five Championship fixtures
- Recommended bet: Middlesbrough to win
Cardiff and Middlesbnrough both shipped five goals while suffering home defeats in the Carabao Cup second round and they will be looking to tighten up when facing each other in the Welsh capital.
The Bluebirds were beaten 5-3 by Southampton, although they were heading for a penalty shootout until a couple of injury-time goals from the Premier League side.
They have taken just one point from three league games and will by targeting a first league win of the season against Boro, who succumbed 5-0 to second-tier Stoke on Tuesday evening.
Middlesbrough have taken four points in the league although they needed a 90th-minute Tommy Conway penalty to draw 2-2 at home to Portsmouth last Saturday.
Team news
Cardiff are stretched by the absences of Joe Ralls (groin), Isaak Davies (knee), Jamilu Collins, Kion Etete (both leg), Ryotaro Tsunoda (muscle strain) and Will Fish (foot).
Eleven changes were made for the 5-3 loss at home to Southampton in the Carabao Cup, but the Bluebirds are set to revert to the strongest available line-up.
Middlesbrough are contending with several injuries.
Centre-backs Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan have been out long term and Riley McGree (knock) Alex Bangura, Tom Smith (both Achilles), Jonny Howson (leg) and Marcus Forss (hamstring) missed the 5-0 loss at home to Stoke in the League Cup second round.
The stats
Middlesbrough have lost just one of their last seven Championship away games.
Five of Boro’s last eight fixtures have generated at least four goals.
Cardiff have lost four of their last five league fixtures.
They have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven Championship matches.
The Bluebirds have shipped five goals in two of their last three games.
Prediction
Middlesbrough need a response after losing 5-0 at home to Stoke in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and they can collect a victory against Cardiff in the Welsh capital.
Boro were league Cup semi-finalists last season but they made their priorities clear in midweek with head coach Michael Carrick making nine changes and awarding first starts to teenage defenders George McCormick and Harley Hunt.
They will be a lot stronger at the weekend and will be keen to build on a largely positive start to the league campaign.
Boro are on four points but will feel short-changed having registered a total of 68 shots while facing only 15 attempts from their opponents.
Cardiff picked up their first point of the season with last Sunday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw at Swansea, but they have not won a league game since April and their tough start could continue.
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