MATCH PREVIEW: CARDIFF CITY vs BRISTOL CITY
Match Previews
12th October
Cardiff City take on Severnside rivals Bristol City in South Wales on Friday night for their first Sky Bet Championship fixture after the international break.
The game will see Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock take charge of his City side for the very first time...
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!
THE OPPOSITION
Bristol City, managed by Lee Johnson, arrive in the Welsh capital riding high in the league, having won their last three games on the bounce.
That run saw them come out of a difficult patch of form, in which they won just won of their previous six league matches. As a result, they currently sit in sixth place in the table - five points off current leaders, Huddersfield Town.
The Bluebirds will have to be wary of on-loan Chelsea striker, Tammy Abraham. The 19-year-old is the Championship’s top scorer with eight goals from his eleven league games so far. The Robins also have players chipping in from midfield, with Bobby Reid leading the way, having found the back of the net three times.
CLUB CONNECTIONS
Brian Clark, forever remembered for scoring the winner in the Bluebirds’ historic 1971 win over Real Madrid, also played for Bristol City during his distinguished career.
Another striker fondly remembered by the Bluebirds is Kevin Nugent, who scored twenty-nine times for Cardiff from 1997-2002. He joined the Bluebirds from Bristol City where he had scored fourteen goals in a two-year spell.
Other players to have represented both the Bluebirds and Robins in recent years include Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Adam Matthews and Andy Keogh (who represented both clubs on loan in the same season during the 2010/11 campaign).
MEMORABLE MEETING
An entertaining encounter between the two sides happened on 23rd August 2009, where the Bluebirds dispatched the Robins 3-0 to continue their excellent early season form.
Watch Michael Chopra's strike in our top five Severnside Derby goals below...
Bristol defended stoically for most of the first period but the home side took the lead six minutes before the interval. Full back, Adam Matthews sent in a dangerous low cross which Bristol’s Jamie McCombe attempted to clear, only for the unfortunate defender to turn the ball into his own net.
The Bluebirds doubled their advantage in first half stoppage time, Chris Burke found Michael Chopra with a clever through ball and the in-form striker coolly lifted the ball over Dean Gherkin in the Bristol goal to make it 2-0. Cardiff wrapped up the contest shortly after the hour mark, Burke was once more the provider when he found Gavin Rae who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.
The win meant the Bluebirds had ten points from their opening four games and saw them climb to the top of the Championship table.
ROBINS FACTS
- The club was founded in 1894 as Bristol South End and changed their name to Bristol City three years later when they were admitted into the Southern League.
- Bristol City have actually won the Welsh Cup. The Robins defeated another English side, Tranmere Rovers, in May 1934 to lift the trophy.
- The biggest winning margin between the two clubs occurred on 26th January 2010, when the Bluebirds ran out 6-0 winners at Ashton Gate.
- Last season was Bristol’s first season back in the second tier of English football, following relegation in 2013. They eventually finished in 18th position, 12 points above the relegation places.
DON'T MISS A MOMENT!
LISTEN: Supporters can listen in live on Cardiff City Player HD* for all the action from City vs Bristol City.
WATCH: Extended highlights of the match will be available to subscribers of Cardiff City Player HD*
SOCIAL: Live updates from CCS will come via our official Twitter account, @CardiffCityFC.
*Search ‘Cardiff City’ on the App Store and Google Play Store to view Cardiff City Player HD on Smart Phones, with content available to subscribers 24/7.
