Preview: Cardiff City vs. Wycombe Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Wycombe Wanderers will attempt to keep their slim Championship survival hopes alive on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Cardiff City.

The Chairboys snatched a late win against Bristol City in midweek to just about stay alive, while Cardiff drew for a third match running and can no longer reach the playoffs.

Match preview

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Wanderers have been in the relegation zone since the opening weekend of the campaign, but Gareth Ainsworth's men are refusing to go down without a fight.

Three wins in their last five matches - against Blackburn Rovers, Rotherham United and Bristol City - means that they still have a chance of staying up.

However, for that to happen then the Chairboys need to beat top-10 sides Cardiff, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough in their remaining games and hope others slip up.

Wycombe also recently held Cardiff's local rivals Swansea City 2-2 - albeit in a game they led 2-0 - and are unbeaten in their last three away matches.

However, there is a sense that this run, culminating in a 93rd-minute Adebayo Akinfenwa penalty against Bristol City, has come a little too late.

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A victory in South Wales this weekend, though, combined with the likes of Rotherham United and Derby County dropping points, and things will become very interesting at the bottom.

Unlike their opponents, Cardiff now have little to play for other than jostling for position just outside the top six, which has been reflected in their recent performances.

City have drawn three matches in a row - 2-2 at home to Blackburn Rovers before successive 1-1 ties against playoff-chasing Reading and Brentford.

Mick McCarthy's side led in all three of those matches and conceded in added time in two of them, leaving the Yorkshireman rather unhappy after the match with Brentford.

Indeed, the Bluebirds are now winless in their last four home league games (D2 L2) - they last failed to win five consecutive Championship home games in March 2015.

Going further back, it is five without a win home or away, including a 5-0 hammering at Sheffield Wednesday, so a response is required here against the division's bottom side.

Team News

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Although Cardiff's form does not make for great reading, draws away to Reading and Brentford are hardly the worst results.

McCarthy named the same XI for both games, but Smithies has looked shaky since being recalled and that could pave the way for Dillon Phillips to return to the XI.

Jordi Osei-Tutu made his first appearance in six months as a substitute against Brentford, while Josh Murphy, Jonny Williams and Sheyi Ojo were also brought on and may start here.

Striker Kieffer Moore has scored penalties in back-to-back games and now has 18 goals for the season, but the striker is in desperate need of a breather.

As for Wycombe, Ainsworth also stuck with an unchanged side last time out, despite Josh Knight returning from suspension for the Bristol City match.

Given the manner of his side's displays against the Robins and Swansea, Ainsworth - a former Cardiff player - will be tempted to go with the same XI once again here.

After scoring his first Championship goal in midweek, however, Akinfenwa is pushing for inclusion up top, most likely in place of Admiral Muskwe.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Phillips; Nelson, Flint, Brown; Sang, Vaulks, Bacuna, Ng; Ojo, Moore, Murphy

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; Jacobson, Stewart, Knight; McCarthy, Thompson, Adeniran, Onyedinma; Mehmeti; Ikpeazu, Akinfenwa

We say: Cardiff City 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Twenty-four points may separate these sides in the table, but bottom side Wycombe enter Saturday's match in better form that their ninth-placed opponents.

However, the Chairboys have never won an away game against Cardiff in the Football League in four attempts, and we can see the Bluebirds getting back to winning ways here.