Match Preview | Brentford vs. Cardiff City
Mick McCarthy’s men are back in action on Tuesday evening, taking on Brentford at their new home in West London. The Bluebirds will meet the Bees at the Brentford Community Stadium on April 20th, with a 6pm kick-off.
How do I watch the match?
This match is a co-exclusive with Sky - therefore it is still available to watch worldwide via Cardiff City TV!
Match Passes can be purchased now for just £10 in the UK & Ireland. Overseas Match Passes can be bought in exempt countries for just £7, with Season Passes also available.
Cardiff City TV's broadcast includes a pre-match show ahead of a multi-camera production, with commentary and replays.
Supporters in the UK & Ireland can also purchase a Commentary Pass for £5 a month, or for just £10 for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign.
Opposition Focus: Season so far
Having missed out on promotion last season by the narrowest of margins, the Bees have enjoyed another successful Championship campaign this time around. Successfully replacing star striker Ollie Watkins with Ivan Toney, Brentford have been a constant force at the top of the division, and have sat inside the top six since mid-December. Thomas Frank’s team currently occupy 4th spot, with 20 wins, 14 draws and 7 defeats this term resulting in a current points tally of 74. The Bees are eight points behind second place Watford with five matches to play, meaning that automatic promotion is an unlikely but not impossible scenario for the West London outfit.
After a mixed start to the campaign, Brentford climbed their way up the Championship table with an impressive run of form between late October and early February. The Bees went undefeated during a 21-match period, picking up 13 wins and 8 draws to propel themselves into contention for automatic promotion. However, a subsequent run of three consecutive defeats, to Barnsley, Queens Park Rangers and Coventry City dented Brentford’s ambitions for a spot in the top two, meaning that they will most likely be competing for promotion through the Play-Offs as they did in the 2019/20 season.
Frank’s men have halted their losing streak in recent weeks, and have since gone seven matches without tasting defeat. However, the Bees have won only two of those seven fixtures, drawing five matches in that time. Brentford’s two victories came over Blackburn Rovers, a 1-0 win on March 12, and against Preston North End, an emphatic 5-0 triumph at Deepdale. In their most recent outing, the Bees played out a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Millwall, a result which saw Norwich City confirmed as the first team to be promoted to the Premier League this term.
Opposition Focus: Ones to watch
Sergi Canós has featured in every league fixture for Brentford this term, making 29 starts and 12 appearances from the bench. The Spanish winger, who joined the Bees from Norwich City in 2017, has played a key role in replacing Saïd Benrahma this term, chipping in with eight goals and six assists to date. The ex-Liverpool man was particularly impressive during the reverse fixture at Cardiff City Stadium, netting a hat-trick to single-handedly secure a 3-2 Boxing Day victory for the Bees.
Bryan Mbuemo is the only remaining player from Brentford’s impressive ‘BMW’ trio that helped the club reach the Play-Off Final last season. The Frenchman has not quite hit the goalscoring heights he attained last term, having netted on five occasions this year, but has already recorded more assists than he managed during the 2019/20 campaign. Aged just 21, Mbuemo has provided 11 goals for teammates this term compared to eight last season, and will be looking to add to his fine personal tally before the campaign comes to an end.
Vitaly Janelt arrived at the Brentford Community Stadium in early October 2020, and has become a mainstay in Thomas Frank’s side. Aged 22, the former Germany U21 international has featured in 37 Championship matches for the Bees, and has been named in every matchday squad since October 17th. Operating in defensive midfield, Janelt has picked up three goals and three assists this season, a strong showing for the promising youngster in his first season in English football.
Opposition Focus: Away day action
Tomorrow’s fixture will mark City’s first visit to the newly opened Brentford Community Stadium, which became the home of the Bees at the start of the current campaign. The stadium, which has a capacity of 17,250, replaced Griffin Park as Brentford’s new ground after 116 years. The Bees have enjoyed a strong record at their new home, winning ten of their 20 league matches there, with a further eight draws and just two defeats. Brentford, who recorded a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the Quarter-Final of the Carabao Cup at the Community Stadium earlier this season, share their home with rugby union team London Irish.
The Bluebirds won seven of their 25 visits to Griffin Park, including a memorable victory in 2018. On the road to promotion, City picked up a vital 3-1 win against the Bees, a match which saw our 2017/18 Goal of the Season being scored. Sol Bamba provided the memorable moment, firing into the far corner with a superb half-volley for the equaliser, with Callum Paterson putting the Bluebirds in front before the break. Kenneth Zohore wrapped up the points with a close-range finish in front of the travelling fans, guaranteeing an important three points after an assured performance.
City also picked up a win at Griffin Park during another promotion season, the 2002/03 campaign. On March 4th, 2003, Lennie Lawrence’s side travelled to West London to face the 12th placed Bees, coming away with a 2-0 victory. Scott Young opened the scoring for the Bluebirds in the 52nd minute, with Robert Earnshaw making sure of the result 12 minutes from time, netting one of 31 league strikes during the season. Of course, City ended the campaign with promotion to Division One after defeating QPR in the Play-Off Final in the Welsh capital.
