U18 Match Preview: Charlton Athletic vs. Cardiff City

The Bluebirds travel to face the Addicks on Saturday morning as they continue their league campaign - kick-off at 11am.

Know Your Opponent

The Addicks are currently sat in fourth place, with 36 points earned thus far in their current campaign, following a blistering start to the season that saw them undefeated in seven matches.

Last season, the visitors finished sixth in the U18 PDL South, having registered ten wins from twenty-eight matches. Despite coming into the 2018/19 season as national champions, the Addicks endured a six-game losing streak, lasting from the start of February until late March.

Most recently, the Addicks defeated Colchester United 2-0 at home on February 22nd. The young side kept a clean sheet against their opponents, returning to winning ways following a slump in form following the start of the New Year.

Charlton Athletic’s academy manager is Steve Avory, who has spent seventeen years at the club and has overseen a fruitful period at the club, with over 40 first-team graduates having played for the club during his tenure.

The U18 side are managed by the duo of Hamza Serrar and Sergei Baltacha, who lifted the U18 PDL National Title in 2018 with the club.

Baltacha is an ex-professional who turned out over 300 times for Russian Side Dynamo Kiev as a no-nonsense defender. He also enjoyed a spell at English side Ipswich Town for two years, before deciding to move into coaching.

Hamza Serrar has been at the club for over five years, having previously assisted the Algeria U20 team, before moving on to Charlton as Professional Development Phase coach