There are three vital points for both teams to play for on Saturday afternoon as Cardiff City take on Norwich City in the Welsh capital.
Cardiff find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League table after suffering defeat at the hands of Manchester United during the week, but a win over the Canaries could lift them out of the relegation zone should other results go their way.
Likewise, Norwich could move into the top 10 if they get the victory here, as they currently find themselves level on points with Swansea City and Aston Villa, the two sides who currently occupy the two spots above them. It should make for an interesting game.
Team News
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be without three of his players for this game: Andrew Taylor is not due to return until the end of February, while Jordon Mutch and Mark Hudson are both out for the foreseeable future.
Chris Hughton also has a few injured players unavailable for selection: Michael Turner, Jonny Howson and Elliot Bennett are all out injured for the next few weeks at least.
Interesting Statistics
The last time the two sides met at Carrow Road in September, the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Cardiff have failed to win any of their last five games in the league.
Norwich meanwhile have lost only two of their last five league games.
Cardiff have only managed to win four games this season, however Norwich have only managed slightly better with six victories.
Key Players
Cardiff City – Gary Medel
Medel has been one of Cardiff’s better players this season and has offered a solid presence in the midfield that unfortunately for the fans, hasn’t been replicated elsewhere on the pitch. He has won 52% of his 50-50 challenges on the ground and 55% of his aerial 50-50s. However, Medel’s strength has been in his tackling. He has attempted 47 tackles so far this season and has been successful with 76.6% of them.
Medel has also made 44 interceptions and only two defensive errors. It is this defensive ability in the midfield that could make it hard for Norwich’s midfield to push into the final third. However, the Cardiff defence will have to perform well and not leave all the work to Medel.
Norwich City – Robert Snodgrass
Snodgrass has a great creative impact on how Norwich play. He has created 22 chances from open play so far this season and has created a further 21 chances from set pieces. Despite this, he only has one assist to his name so far. This means he is creating a chance every 31 minutes. His crossing leave something to be desired, however, as he has only been successful with 42 of the 162 he has attempted. His passing is better though and demonstrates the threat he provides in the final third of the pitch. He has attempted 278 in this area and has completed 190 of them, giving him an accuracy of 68%. If he can link up well with his strikers, then Snodgrass could be the difference between a win and a loss for Norwich on Saturday.
Prediction
Both teams need a victory but the greater burden is obviously on the shoulders of Cardiff. However, Norwich will be pushing for a place in the top 10 and so I can see the two sides cancelling each other out. I think it will finish as a 1-1 draw.
