Match Preview | Cardiff City vs. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to Cardiff City Stadium this weekend, with Tony Mowbray bringing his side to the Welsh capital to face Mick McCarthy’s men on Saturday, April 10th at 3pm.
How can I watch this match?
Live video Match Passes can be purchased now for just £10 in the UK & Ireland.
International Match Passes can be bought for just £7 here.
Cardiff City TV's Match Pass includes the following as a part of the scheduled programming:
- Pre-match show
- Multi-camera production
- Commentary
- Replays
Please note: This fixture will not be shown on Sky Sports red button. Click here for full information!
How can I purchase the matchday programme?
There are two ways to get hold of the Cardiff City vs. Blackburn Rovers matchday programme.
The Bluebird – edition 21 for 2020/21, featuring Tom Sang as cover star and feature interview, can be ordered and delivered in its traditional print format from Cardiff City FC SuperStore. Click here to buy your copy!
The Bluebird is now available digitally as well as in its traditional print format. The Blackburn Rovers edition will be available to digitally download from 5pm on Friday, April 9th.
Digital copies of The Bluebird can be purchased before each game for £1.99 per edition.
To download the MatchDayInfo App click on the links below and search ‘Cardiff City’:
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Opposition Focus: Season so far
After an 11th place finish last term, Mowbray’s men have been unable to mount a sustained push for the Play-Offs this time around. Despite a free-scoring start to the season, with emphatic early victories over Wycombe Wanderers, Derby County and Coventry City, Rovers have endured something of a slump in 2021, which has seen them slip from 8th spot to their current position of 17th.
Blackburn have picked up 12 wins and ten draws this term, with another 18 defeats from their 40 matches played thus far. With a points tally of 46 with six matches to go, relegation to League One is an unlikely, but not impossible, scenario for Mowbray and his players to keep in mind during their Championship run-in. Rovers currently possess an 11 point advantage over 22nd place Rotherham United, although the Millers have four games-in-hand on most of their relegation rivals.
Blackburn suffered a miserable run of form in February, which saw them lose five consecutive Championship matches. An away victory over Millwall in early March has proved to be Rovers only victory in their past 14 league fixtures, with a further three draws and three losses since then. Mowbray's side have suffered consecutive defeats since the return from international action, falling 1-0 to Wycombe Wanderers and 2-0 to AFC Bournemouth over the Easter weekend.
Opposition Focus: Ones to watch
Harvey Elliott arrived at Ewood Park on loan from Liverpool for the duration of the 2020/21 campaign, and has certainly made his mark during his first season in the second tier. The youngest player ever to feature in the Premier League, Elliott has excelled throughout the campaign, recording a club-high ten assists for Rovers this term. Comfortable on either attacking flank, the 18-year-old has also netted five goals from his 35 league outings this season.
Sam Gallagher has made 18 starts for Blackburn this term, with a further 15 appearances from the substitutes bench. However, with runaway top scorer Adam Armstrong unable to find the back of the net in his last six matches, Gallagher has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks. The 25-year-old netted Rovers’ equaliser against league leaders Norwich City before the international break, and also scored during their most recent victory, which came at The Den against Millwall.
Ryan Nyambe has been a mainstay in the Rovers side for the past five seasons, making over 160 appearances for the club he joined at the age of 13. Operating at right-back, the 23-year-old has made 33 league appearances during the current campaign, helping to keep 11 clean sheets throughout the term. Defensively solid with an eye for a cross, Nyambe has also recorded four assists this season, which is a career high for the defender.
Opposition Focus: CCS contests
Blackburn recorded a narrow victory in their last visit to Cardiff City Stadium, becoming just the third team to defeat the Bluebirds on home soil in the 2019/20 campaign. Will Vaulks scored a delightful lob to put City ahead, only for Danny Graham to equalise. Robert Glatzel restored the Bluebirds’ advantage, but a second-half turnaround, with goals from Dominic Samuel and Adam Armstrong, secured the three points for Mowbray’s men.
City’s most recent home victory over Blackburn came back in August 2016, which proved to be a match to forget for former Rovers defender Shane Duffy. The Republic of Ireland international scored a brace of own-goals to put the Bluebirds in the driving seat, and also picked up two yellow cards to be sent for an early bath. The memorable match finished 2-1 to the hosts, and turned out to be Duffy’s final league appearance for Rovers; he joined Brighton & Hove Albion later that month.
The two sides have previously met in an early April Championship clash, back in 2013. On that occasion, City took an important step on the road to the second tier title, with an excellent performance and a 3-0 win. Gary Bowyer’s side were no match for the Premier League bound Bluebirds, who took a first-half lead through Fraizer Campbell. Late in the day, Joe Mason added a second to seal the win, with Peter Whittingham coming off the bench to score City’s third from the penalty spot and open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table.
It's Blackburn Rovers up next for @CardiffCityFC - the opponents when Will Vaulks scored City's 2019/20 goal of the season.
— 888sport (@888sport) April 8, 2021
Think he's got this year's award wrapped up too? ? pic.twitter.com/HO5zdqbfmy
