Preview: Cardiff City vs. Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Cardiff City will hope to continue their recent resurgence when they host Blackpool in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Bluebirds have pulled away from relegation danger over the last few weeks and sit 19th in the table, six points behind the Tangerines who are 15th.

Match preview

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Cardiff were only one point above the relegation zone three weeks ago, but a run of four wins in five matches means that they are now 14 points clear of the drop.

The Bluebirds' latest victory came on Tuesday night as second half goals from Joel Bagan and Mark Harris secured a 2-0 home win over Coventry City.

Steve Morison's team have now won three successive matches at the Cardiff City Stadium, but bottom club Barnsley remain the only side in the Championship to have earned fewer points on home turf this season.

Cardiff have won four of their last five matches against Blackpool and claimed a 2-0 victory at Bloomfield Road earlier this season.

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Blackpool travel to South Wales having won just three times away from home this season following promotion from League One last year.

Neil Critchley's team have failed to win any of their last seven matches on the road since beating Sheffield United at the end of October.

The Tangerines led 1-0 against promotion-chasing Bournemouth last weekend, but conceded in the 86th and 95th minutes to lose 2-1, leaving Critchley to describe football as a "cruel game".

That was Blackpool's first defeat in six league matches, and it has left them eight points behind the playoffs with a third of the season remaining.

Team News

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Steve Morison could look to change his strike pairing with Isaak Davies and Max Watters at risk of dropping out of the side. January signings Jordan Hugill and Uche Ikpeazu are the most likely to replace them, but Mark Harris will also be pushing for a start after coming off the bench to score against Coventry.

Midfielder Rubin Colwill is a major doubt with a foot injury that ruled him out of the midweek fixture.

Blackpool suffered a huge blow against Bournemouth last weekend as Marvin Ekpiteta was forced off with a hamstring injury.

With fellow centre-back Richard Keogh also sidelined with a calf issue, 21-year-old Oliver Casey could be handed a first Championship start in defence.

In midfield, Kenny Dougall is in contention to return to the starting lineup after dropping to the bench last weekend.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Smithies; Ng, Flint, McGuinness; Drameh, Doyle, Wintle, Vaulks, Bagan; Hugill, Ikpeazu

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Grimshaw; Gabriel, Casey, Thorniley, Sterling; Hamilton, Dougall, Connolly, Bowler; Lavery, Madine

We say: Cardiff City 2-0 Blackpool

Cardiff are really starting to find some rhythm and confidence under Steve Morison and we think that they will get another three points on the board against a Blackpool side who have struggled away from home in recent months.