Cardiff City vs Leeds United
Leeds United are unbeaten so far in 2023. However, they have yet to record a victory, and this FA Cup third round tie against Cardiff City is their best chance to return to the win column.
The Whites are coming off back-to-back draws against Newcastle and West Ham to pull themselves out of the relegation scrap in the Premier League, at least for now.
Meanwhile, Cardiff City are 20th in the Championship since they recently lost to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.
This looks like a comfortable victory for Jesse Marsch’s side, but Leeds United’s ignominious history here in the FA Cup simply can’t be overlooked.
Without further ado, continue to read on below as we preview this matchup.
Talking Points
Pressure mounting on Mark Hudson
The mood around Cardiff is gloomy, and it seems that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Mark Hudson, who was named permanent boss last November, is under scrutiny to guide the Bluebirds to the best possible results.
Cardiff are on a lacklustre stretch as they’ve only won once in their last nine games. Four of those were draws, but their anemic attack is becoming a major problem as well, having failed to find the back of the net versus QPR, Coventry City, and Blackburn Rovers.
And it doesn’t help that Hudson will be without a full squad for the visit of Leeds United this weekend, as several players have fallen ill.
Top scorer Callum Robinson, Gavin Whyte, and Cedric Kipre are all under the weather, while Mahlon Romeo (hamstring), Jamilu Collins (knee) are also sidelined. However, Kion Etete might return to the pitch.
The odds are increasingly stacked against Mark Hudson with what they’re going through, so an upset win over Leeds United could prove to be the catalyst of a turnaround.
Have Leeds United discovered another gem?
Jesse Marsch can relate to Mark Hudson since he hasn’t had a full squad over the past few weeks, and that has led him to give more opportunities to his younger players.
21-year-old Crysencio Summerville was a hot topic here at SBOTOP because he emerged as Leeds’ second-leading scorer with four goals and one assist. Since then, he has been a regular fixture in Marsch’s starting XI.
But the player that has caught our eye recently is Willy Gnonto, who just became the third youngest scorer in the Premier League when he netted against West Ham United last night.
FourFourTwo recently revealed their list of the 50 most exciting teenagers in world football, and Gnonto is one of them since he brings pace and direction to Leeds’ attack. He can also play as the Whites’ No. 10 from time to time.
And now that veteran Mateusz Klich is moving to DC United, Gnonto (like Summerville before) can lock in a spot in Jesse Marsch’s starting XI for the foreseeable future.
History
Sunday marks the first FA Cup meeting between Cardiff City and Leeds United since January 2002, when the former claimed a 2-1 win over the latter.
It was the first time since February 1971 that an English top-flight team had lost to a team from outside the top two divisions of English football.
Leeds United have lost their last six games in the FA Cup – a run dating back to January 2017. They also have been eliminated from the tournament by Cardiff City three straight times, between 1955-56 and 1957-58, and also in 2001-02 – all in the third round.
The Whites are going to play their 10th consecutive away match in the FA Cup, making them the second team in tournament history to play 10 away matches in a row.
But Cardiff City are winless in their last nine FA Cup matches against Premier League clubs (D2, L7) since prevailing over Middlesbrough 2-0 away in March 2008. During the said year, they went on to reach the final, only to lose 1-0 to Portsmouth.
Betting Tip
Leeds United are backed by the FA Cup 2023 odds to win this weekend, as they’re installed at 1.79, while Cardiff City are priced at 3.65, and chances for a draw are at 3.50 in the 1X2 market.
A win for the Whites seems like a foregone conclusion since the Bluebirds have languished lately, so instead we’ll look at the possible goal total for this contest.
With both sides struggling on the defencive side of the pitch, we’re leaning towards going for Over 2.50 @ 1.81, with the visitors providing more FA Cup 2023 highlights than the hosts.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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