Preview: Cardiff City vs Exeter City - prediction, team news, lineups

Cardiff City will continue their promotion bid when they welcome Exeter City to the Cardiff City Stadium on Boxing Day.

The Bluebirds are leading the way in the League One table, while the Grecians are hovering outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Match preview

Cardiff are currently in a strong position to secure an immediate return to the Championship after winning 13, drawing two and losing five of their 20 league games this season.

The League One leaders boast a three-point lead over second-placed Lincoln City and a four-point advantage over Bradford City in third position.

However, Cardiff will go into their Boxing Day fixture on the back of consecutive defeats after a valiant effort in their EFL Cup quarter-final loss against Chelsea was followed by a disappointing result against promotion rivals Lincoln City on Saturday.

Perry Ng scored his second goal of the season to cancel out Alex Robertson's own goal, only for Lincoln's Sonny Bradley to net a 67th-minute winner to condemn the Bluebirds to their first league defeat since November 8. 

After leaving Sincil Bank empty-handed, the Bluebirds will be looking forward to returning to the Cardiff City Stadium, where they have won each of their last five home league games.

The league's highest scorers have scored at least three goals in four of those five victories and have registered 26 of their 37 goals in the Welsh capital. 

© Imago

Exeter may be operating towards the bottom end of the table, but they will carry momentum into Friday's fixture after winning three of their last four competitive matches without conceding. 

The Grecians started that run of form with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers, before they recorded a narrow 1-0 win in their league clash against Wimbledon.

While they were stopped in their tracks by a 2-1 away defeat to Bolton Wanderers, Gary Caldwell's side returned to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 victory against Barnsley at the weekend, thanks to goals from Ilmari Niskanen, Jayden Wareham and Reece Cole.  

All of Exeter's three wins in their last four matches have taken place at St James' Park, helping them extend their unbeaten home record to seven games (W4, D2).

The Grecians have been unable to produce that sort of form on their travels, having lost each of their last four away games since beating Newport County in the EFL Trophy on November 11.

In fact, Friday's visitors currently have League One's worst away record after collecting just six points from their 10 league road trips this season. 

Cardiff City League One form:

Cardiff City form (all competitions):

Exeter City League One form:

Exeter City form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / News Images

The hosts remain without the services of Eli King and Rubin Colwill due to knee and ankle injuries respectively.

Goalkeeper Nathan Trott and midfielder David Turnbull could also miss out through injury, while Joel Bagan, Calum Chambers and Will Fish are doubts due to illness. 

Striker Yousef Salech will continue to offer one of Cardiff’s main attacking threats, having scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 20 league appearances this season.

As for the visitors, they are expected to be without Ed Turns, Johnly Yfeko, Danny Andrew and Josh Magennis due to injury. 

Reece Cole is pushing for a starting berth after coming off the bench to score Exeter’s third in the 3-0 success against Barnsley.

Carlos Mendes Gomes returned from injury to feature as a late substitute on Saturday, so he should be available to offer more minutes off the bench on Boxing Day.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Turner; Kpakio, Wintle, Lawlor, Ng; Robinson, Turnbull; Ashford, Kellyman, Willock; Salech

Exeter City possible starting lineup:

Whitworth; Sweeney, Fitzwater, Woodhouse; McMillan, Brierley, Doyle-Hayes, Niskanen; Cole, Aitchison; Wareham

We say: Cardiff City 3-1 Exeter City

Cardiff have won each of their last five league games at the Cardiff City Stadium, and with that in mind, we think they will make full use of home advantage to take three points off an Exeter side that have lost each of their previous four away matches.

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