Match Preview: Cardiff City vs. Huddersfield Town

The Bluebirds host the Terriers at CCS on Wednesday night for their fourth match of the 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship campaign – kick-off at 7:45pm. Buy your tickets for Wednesday night's fixture here!

Can't attend this fixture? Wednesday's match will be broadcast via livestream by Cardiff City TV. Sign up here if you haven't already, and click here to purchase your match pass!

The Opposition

Huddersfield Town have lost two of their three league matches this season, having played against Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Fulham. Most recently, the side ran out against Fulham at John Smith’s Stadium, where they lost 2-1 against their Premier League rivals from the previous season.

Conceding early in the second half thanks to a goal from Aleksandar Mitrović, the Terriers were quick to respond with a goal of their own, coming from Karlan Grant.

Though a turnaround may have looked likely for Huddersfield the moments following the equaliser, it was Fulham who scored the decisive third goal of the match. 

The visitors scored the winner with ten minutes of normal time remaining, as Ivan Cavaleiro put away a spectacular curled effort from the edge of the area.

Following the match, Huddersfield Town manager Jan Siewert's contract with the club was terminated. The German had won one from nineteen league matches since taking charge in January 2019.

Karlan Grant, who has now scored in all three of his league appearances thus far this season, joined Huddersfield Town from Charlton Athletic in January 2019, when the Terriers were playing in the Premier League, having been promoted in the Championship play-off final at the end of the 2016-17 season.

In 13 appearances in the Premier League, the Greenwich-born forward scored four goals, including one against Arsenal on his second appearance for the club. Ahead of joining Huddersfield, Grant had been helping in the Addicks’ eventual League One play-off push, scoring 14 goals in 28 appearances. The 21-year-old has also earned caps playing for England’s youth sides, making appearances at U17, U18, and U19 levels.

In the hot seat

Taking charge of the Terriers for Wednesday’s fixture will be former Bluebirds captain Mark Hudson. Born in 1982, Hudson played for Cardiff City between 2009-14, making 144 league appearances during this time.

The defender captained the side that earned the club’s first ever promotion to the Premier League in the 2012-13 season, appearing 33 times as the Bluebirds finished at the top of the Championship table.

Hudson left the club in August 2014 for Huddersfield Town, and was a part of the squad that was promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2016/17 season, during which he made 22 Championship appearances.

Following his promotion season at the club, Mark retired as a player and moved into a coaching role as a member of then-manager David Wagner’s staff.

As First Team Coach, Hudson was called upon in the 2018/19 Premier League season to step up to the role of manager following the departure of Wagner. He took charge for one match, in January’s 3-0 home loss against eventual Premier League champions Manchester City.

Following the departure of Jan Siewert, Hudson will once again step up to manage Huddersfield on Wednesday night.

Previous Meetings

Whilst in the Premier League with Huddersfield Town last season, both fixtures resulted in goalless draws between the two sides. Prior to the 2018/19 season, when both teams were last in the Championship in the 2016/17 season City came away with six points from their fixtures against the Terriers. 

In May 2017, the Bluebirds defeated Wednesday night’s opponents 3-0 away from home in an eventful match at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Following Ken Zohore’s early seventh minute goal to open the proceedings, goalkeeper Danny Ward was given his marching orders only 20 minutes into the match for handling outside of the box, with substitute ‘keeper Joel Coleman having to come on in his place.

Joe Bennett doubled City’s lead before the half hour mark and scored his second of the afternoon with little more than ten minutes of the match remaining.

The Terriers’ last Championship visit to CCS also ended with the Bluebirds taking all three points, as Sean Morrison, Junior Hoilett and Rickie Lambert all scored in a 3-2 victory at home in November 2016, which was Neil Warnock’s sixth match in charge since becoming manager one month previously.

Player Link: Lee Peltier

City right-back Lee Peltier made a total of 80 league appearances for the Terriers between 2009-11. Peltier, who began his career as a youth at Liverpool, had spent time on loan at Hull City and played for two seasons at Yeovil Town before joining Huddersfield Town in League One aged 22.

In his first season at the John Smith’s Stadium, Peltier was a key component in their squad, making 42 league appearances for the club, and made another 38 in the following season, where he played for a full 90 minutes in the 2011 League One Play-off Final against Peterborough United.

Pelts returned to Huddersfield in 2014 following spells at Championship sides Leicester City and Leeds United, having also played at Nottingham Forest whilst on loan.

Joining City in 2015, Lee has made 136 league appearances for the Bluebirds since joining. The Toxteth-born right-back made his Premier League debut for City in August 2018 as they walked out against AFC Bournemouth for the 2018/19 season opener.