- Cardiff have not won a match since early November
- Sheffield United sit three points clear at the top of the Championship
- Recommended bet: Sheffield United -1 handicap

Championship leaders Sheffield United can guarantee top spot at Christmas if they avoid defeat when they visit struggling Cardiff on Saturday.

The Blades head into the weekend sitting three points clear at the top of the standings following a 10-match unbeaten run that includes eight victories.

By contrast, Cardiff are without a win in seven, a sequence that has seen them slip to just a point and place above the relegation zone.

Team news 

Cardiff remain without a trio of important first-team players, with midfielders Aaron Ramsey and David Turnbull, as well as versatile defender Perry Ng all still sidelined with hamstring injuries.

Sheffield United are without midfielder Ollie Arblaster due to a serious knee injury, while Tyrese Campbell (hamstring), Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vinicius Souza (both knocks) remain doubts after they all missed last weekend's home win over Plymouth.

The stats

Omer Riza won four of his first seven games after taking interim charge of Cardiff in September, but he is now without a victory in seven and his side have picked up just one point from the two matches since he was named permanent manager.

All four of Cardiff's league victories this season have come on home soil, but they have lost their last three games at the Cardiff City Stadium, with all those defeats coming by a two-goal margin.

Since losing back-to-back games at Leeds and Middlesbrough in August, Sheffield United have taken 26 points from the last 30 available and they are now five unbeaten on the road.

The Blades have also won four matches on the spin against Cardiff, with the Bluebirds last victory in this fixture coming in August 2017 when Sean Morrison and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing goals helped them to a 2-0 win.

Prediction

It is nearly two months since Sheffield United lost a match and after winning eight of their last 10 games, the Blades look near unstoppable at the moment, particularly for a Cardiff side that are struggling for form.

The Bluebirds have taken just three points from the last 21 available and, perhaps most worryingly, their home form has deserted them, as they have lost their last three at the Cardiff City Stadium, following up a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn by going down 2-0 to both QPR and Preston — two sides that are languishing in the bottom half of the standings.

Languishing is certainly not a word that can be used to describe Sheffield United and Chris Wilder's side should have more than enough in the tank to leave South Wales with all three points.

The last time these two sides met was at Bramall Lane in April 2023  — Sheffield United won 4-1 that day and a similarly emphatic victory could be on the cards on Saturday.

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