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

Welsh sides Wrexham and Cardiff City will square off for the first time since March 2002 on Tuesday, when they meet in an EFL Cup round-of-16 tie at the Racecourse Ground.

The hosts leapfrogged their visitors with a promotion last year and advanced to this stage with a third-round win over Reading, while the Bluebirds booked their fourth-round spot by beating top-flight Burnley last month.

Match preview

Wrexham head into action at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday aiming to book an EFL Cup quarter-final spot for the first time since the 1977-78 season.

While beginning life in the Championship on the back of three consecutive promotions up to the second tier under Phil Parkinson, the Welsh side entered the competition in the first round and saw off fellow Championship sides Hull City and Preston North End in the early stages.

Reading then stood between the Red Dragons and the final 16 last month, and Parkinson's side advanced with a 2-0 home win as Nathan Broadhead and Sam Smith netted second-half goals.

They head into the tie on the back of an improved pair of league results in what has been somewhat of a slow start, having returned to winning ways at home to Oxford United last Wednesday thanks to Broadhead's goal before visiting high-flying Middlesbrough on Saturday and taking a point from a 1-1 draw having led through Josh Windass.

Now sitting 16th in the second tier after those results, Wrexham turn their focus to the EFL Cup with the hopes of advancing to the final eight with a win over their Welsh rivals, who they overtook in the pyramid this term after contrasting fortunes last time around.

Cardiff City, meanwhile, make the trip north aiming to continue a pleasing start to the season following their relegation to League One and return to the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the first time since the 2011-12 term, when they lost to Liverpool in the final at Wembley.

Having fallen below Tuesday's hosts in the English pyramid for the first time since their previous meetings in 2002, the Bluebirds set out to earn League One promotion at the first time of asking under the new management of Brian Barry-Murphy and have quickly established themselves in the leading pack.

Alongside that, they advanced through the first two EFL Cup rounds by beating Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town, before visiting Burnley in September and advancing with an impressive 2-1 victory thanks to first-half goals from Joel Colwill and Callum Robinson.

Barry-Murphy's side currently occupy top spot in League one on 26 points from 13 games, having scored 21 goals and only conceded 11 in those matches, despite a defeat at the weekend when they visited Bolton Wanderers and left empty-handed as Amario Cozier-Duberry broke the deadlock and snatched all three points for the hosts in the 94th minute.

Cardiff City will now bid to bounce back from that disappointment and book a quarter-final place in Tuesday's tough trip to the Racecourse Ground, having won each of the last two meetings between these sides soon after the turn of the millennium.

Wrexham EFL Cup form:

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Wrexham form (all competitions):

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Cardiff City EFL Cup form:

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Cardiff City form (all competitions):

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Team News

Phil Parkinson should avoid making wholesale changes to his Wrexham side with an eye on the EFL Cup quarter-finals, and Ben Sheaf, Oliver Rathbone, Danny Ward, Jay Rodriguez, Elliot Lee and Andy Cannon should all remain confined to the treatment room.

Callum Doyle will return to contention at the back after serving a suspension last time out and should replace Lewis Brunt, who is a fresh concern after being forced off early on Saturday, while Dominic Hyam and Max Cleworth will hope to keep their places.

Lewis O'Brien will push to return to the midfield after George Thomason joined Matty James and George Dobson at the weekend, while Sam Smith, Ryan Hardie and Nathan Broadhead will compete with regulars Josh Windass and Kieffer Moore for attacking spots.

Cardiff City will remain without goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and winger Ollie Tanner on Tuesday due to ongoing injuries.

Barry-Murphy should also field a full-strength starting XI with a quarter-final spot on the line, and Yousef Salech should lead the line from the outset having netted 13 goals in 33 league appearances for the Bluebirds since his January arrival.

Despite competition from Callum Robinson, Isaak Davies, Rubin Colwill and Omari Kellyman may again get the nod behind the front man, while Will Fish and Dylan Lawlor should continue to partner up in front of goalkeeper Nathan Trott.

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Cleworth, Coady, Doyle; Kabore, Dobson, Thomason, O'Brien, Cacace; Windass, Broadhead

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Trott; Ng, Fish, Lawlor, Bagan; Robertson, Wintle; Kellyman, Colwill, Davies; Salech

We say: Wrexham 2-1 Cardiff City

While Cardiff City have impressed in League One thus far and pulled off an impressive victory at Burnley in the previous round, we do not see them having the quality to match Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday and back the Championship side to progress.

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