MATCH PREVIEW: WBA

A comprehensive look at City's clash with the Baggies

Cardiff City v West Bromwich Albion
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium
Date: Saturday, 12th December, KO 3pm
Match-tag:#CARWBA (Live tweets on @CardiffCityFC)
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The Bluebirds take on West Bromwich Albion at Cardiff City Stadium in the final home Premier League match before Christmas.

MATCH FACTS

-    Saturday’s clash between Cardiff City and the Baggies will be the first meeting between the two sides in the Barclays Premier League.
-    West Brom are on a three-match losing streak, and have won just one of their last nine Premier League matches.
-    Just one point separates the two sides in the Premier League table. The Baggies a point ahead of the Bluebirds in 15th position. WBA (W3, D6, L6) compared to City’s (W3, D5, L7).
-    The Bluebirds have not lost to the Baggies in the last four league encounters between the two sides, winning one and drawing three.
-    In fact the Baggies haven’t won in Cardiff since October 1974 when they won 2-0 at Ninian Park. 

KEY PLAYER: Youssuf Mulumbu



Congo International Youssef Mulumbu has been an ever present in the Baggies’ midfield since arriving on a permanent deal from Paris Saint Germain in 2009. Mulumbu has made over 150 appearances for West Brom in all competitions and has been their most consistent performer in the engine room this campaign.

IN-FORM PLAYER:  Shane Long



Three goals in five for the Baggies have made the Irish International the Baggies’ most potent attacking threat in recent games, with his tally topping the scoring charts when it comes to Premier League goals. His double against Aston Villa recently put the Baggies in command only for Villa to snatch a point with two late goals.

RECENT FORM (ALL COMPETITIONS):

Cardiff City: DWDLDL
Last time out: Crystal Palace 2-0 Cardiff City – Saturday, 7th December, Barclays Premier League.



Goals from former Bluebird Cameron Jerome and a second half strike from Marouane Chamakh secured all three points for the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

Team - Cardiff City: Marshall, Caulker (C), Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Campbell (Cornelius 68), Kim (Odemwingie 60), Mutch, Cowie (Noone 45), Theophile-Catherine, John. Subs not used: Lewis; Connolly, Hudson, Gunnarsson.

West Brom:  WDDLLL
Last time out: West Brom 0-2 Norwich City – Saturday, 7th December, Barclays Premier League.



An early strike from Gary Hooper gave the Canaries’ a surprise lead at the Hawthorns before Leroy Fer made sure of all three points late on to condemn the Baggies to a third defeat in a row and earn the Canaries’ their first win on the road this season.

Team – West Brom: Myhill, Jones, Ridgewell (Berahino, 45), McAuley, Lugano, Brunt, Sessegnon, Amalfitano (Long, 45), Mulumbu, Yacob, Anichebe (Vydra, 81). Subs not used: Daniels; Morrison, Popov, Dawson.
   
BETTING

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Cardiff City: 7/5
Draw: 23/10
West Brom: 19/10

Match Special: Peter Odemwingie to score first against his former club in a 2-0 win for the Bluebirds brings odds of 55/1! Place a £10 bet and win £550!

LAST COMPETITIVE MEETING

2011/12: Saturday, 7th January 2012, FA Cup – West Brom 4-2 Cardiff City



A Simon Cox hat-trick was enough to earn an FA Cup third round victory for the Baggies at the Hawthorns with Robert Earnshaw and Joe Mason getting the goals for City. Peter Odemwingie, now with City of course, got the other goal for the Baggies.

Team - Cardiff City: Heaton, Naylor, Quinn, Keinan (Wharton, 70), Gerrard, Blake, Conway, Kiss, McPhail, Earnshaw, Gestede (Mason, 41). Subs not used: Marshall, Evans, Ralls, Gyepes, Oshilaja.
         
REFEREE: Howard Webb

Howard Webb is now regarded as one of the top referees in world football. After plying his trade in the lower leagues during the mid-1990s, he made the step up to the top flight as an assistant referee in 1998, before taking charge of his first Premier League match five years later.

Webb has been ever-present in the top flight since his introduction in 2003. In 2010, he made history when he became the first man to officiate the Final of both the Champions League and the World Cup in the same year.

The first part of this historic achievement came when he oversaw Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu in May. Just two months later, he was given the responsibility of officiating Spain’s triumph against Netherlands in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

He was last in charge of a Cardiff City match in the Bluebirds’ opening day Premier League fixture with West Ham United at Upton Park.

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