Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Sheffield Wednesday sit closer to the middle of the table in 15th place, but there's no room for complacency. They are only three points clear of the relegation zone, which is currently occupied by Cardiff City. Cardiff's streak of form ended, and they've slipped back down, needing to find a way out.
Sheffield Wednesday
Their defeat in the previous round by Sheffield United (0:1) did not drop them lower because their rivals also failed to win. They find it much easier to play at home. At Hillsborough, they are more aggressive, having created 13.48 xG across 8 matches, scoring 12 goals. Sheffield Wednesday have avoided defeat in five of those eight games. However, it's rare to see high-scoring affairs: a total over 2.5 has been hit only three times.
Cardiff City
The crazy number of goals conceded by the Welsh team at the start of the season is behind them, but they're still susceptible to conceding if the opportunities arise, as seen in the recent match before the break against Blackburn Rovers (1:3). But that game was more of an exception, as in the seven previous matches, Cardiff typically played low-scoring matches: five of those seven ended with a total under 2.5.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City Prediction
It's hard to imagine the visitors claiming victory here. Their last two visits to Sheffield ended in heavy defeats: 0:5 in the Championship and 0:4 in the FA Cup. We don’t expect many goals either.
