Cardiff City

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Manager Omer Riza says Cardiff City will approach their last eight games of the Championship season like cup finals as they fight to avoid relegation.

Saturday's 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers was only the Bluebirds' second away win of the season and ended a three-match losing run.

Cardiff remain deep in trouble in 21st place and just one point above the bottom three, but victory at Ewood Park eased the pressure that was mounting on Riza.

"It was a much-needed win. The mentality and approach now is about getting the job done," Riza told BBC Sport Wales.

"To a man, the boys did that and we got the result we deserved.

"Coming off the back of the Luton defeat [last Tuesday], we said we had nine finals. One down, eight to go."

The Championship now takes a break for the international window, with Cardiff returning to league action on Saturday, 29 March with a home game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Cardiff City will look to avoid dropping into the relegation zone as they visit play off chasers Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Bluebirds are only one point above 22nd placed Derby County and within three points of basement dwellers Plymouth Argyle.

The Welsh side will need to put an end to a three-game losing run if they are to take all three points against Blackburn and ensure safety, though the Lancashire side's form hasn't been all that bright lately either.

Rovers have not won any of their past four matches to drift four points shy of the top six.

• Blackburn Rovers have only lost one of their last 12 league games against Cardiff City (W6 D5) and have beaten them in three of their last four meetings (D1).

• Cardiff are winless in their last eight league visits to Blackburn (D5 L3) and have lost each of their last three at Ewood Park. Their last win at this venue came in December 2012 under Malky Mackay.

• Blackburn Rovers have won three of their last five home league games (D1 L1), with two of those wins coming under John Eustace and one under caretaker manager David Lowe.

• Cardiff City have won only one of their last 20 away league matches (D9 L10), beating Watford 2-1 in December.

• Blackburn forward Andreas Weimann has scored seven Championship goals against Cardiff City, more than he has against any other team.

Cardiff City host Luton Town in the Championship on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT) with both sides desperately in need of points in their battle to avoid relegation.

The Welshmen are four points clear of the drop zone and five ahead of their opponents but have won just one of their past seven league games.

Luton are second from bottom and have lost 10 of their past 14 Championship matches with just one victory.

• Cardiff City have lost each of their past two home league games against Luton Town and will be looking to avoid losing three in succession to the Hatters for the first time.

• Luton Town have won each of their past four league games against Cardiff City, three of which have come via a 1-0 score line.

• Cardiff City suffered their first home league loss of 2025 against Burnley in their last such match, but have scored in each of their previous seven league games on home soil.

• Luton have won four of their past five league trips to Wales (L1), though their only defeat in that time did come at Swansea earlier this season, suffering a 2-1 defeat in December.

• Cardiff's Callum Robinson has been involved in five goals in his past four home league starts for the Bluebirds (4 goals, 1 assist).

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Matt Bloomfield leads Luton Town in a potentially pivotal trip to Cardiff City on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) having walked away from a promotion chase to focus on a relegation scrap.

Bloomfield's Wycombe Wanderers side were second in League One when he left Adams Park to succeed Rob Edwards at Luton in mid-January.

There are some on the outside who may be questioning the wisdom of that decision, with Wycombe continuing to occupy the second automatic promotion spot in the third tier and Luton in danger of a second successive relegation.

The Hatters were two places and two points clear of the Championship drop zone when Bloomfield was appointed.

Ten league games and just one win later, Luton are second from bottom and five points adrift of Cardiff in 21st.

Bloomfield's maiden Luton win came at the ninth attempt, at home to Portsmouth earlier this month, but they were well beaten last Saturday at Burnley.

The best news of the weekend for Luton was that Cardiff and Stoke – who are level on points with the Bluebirds - lost too.

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Yet Bloomfield has insisted past results will have no bearing on their game at the Cardiff City Stadium.

"It's about what we do between now and the end of the season," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"It's about us. We have to keep focused and not letting anything else affect our work. That's simple. That's how I conduct myself and that's not going to change."

Luton's poor run began long before Bloomfield's arrival.

They have won just once in 14 league games, while they have banked only one point from their past 15 away fixtures in the second tier.

"Every game we play now is huge," experienced defender Amari'i Bell said after the 4-0 reverse at Burnley.

"We need to dust ourselves down, reflect and be in the right mind frame to go again."

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Defender Mark McGuinness makes his first return to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night (19.45 GMT) since leaving for Luton Town last summer.

McGuinness made one appearance for the Bluebirds in the League Cup this season - opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers - before signing for the Hatters in August.

The 24-year-old returns to Cardiff for a crucial relegation battle, with just five points separating City in 21st and current club Luton two places below.

Former Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy notably predicted the Republic of Ireland international would go on to be a "really good player" for Cardiff after signing him from Arsenal in 2021.

McCarthy also claimed McGuinness would be worth "a hell of a lot of money" in the future.

The first claim proved correct, with McGuinness becoming a commanding presence in Cardiff's defence during his three-year spell at the club, making more than 80 appearances.

He was somewhat surprisingly sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday for the first half of the 2022-23 season, before regaining his place in the Cardiff team thanks to his impressive form at Hillsborough.

Whether he has proved to be worth a lot of money is less clear, though Luton claimed his move to Kenilworth Road was for a "significant undisclosed fee".

McGuinness has started all but five of Luton's 36 league matches this season, scoring three times for a side battling to avoid back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One.

The Hatters are second-bottom of the Championship having won only one of their past 14 league games.

They'll arrive in South Wales on the back of a 4-0 defeat at Burnley, with Luton and Cardiff sharing the second worst defensive record in the division.

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Cardiff City boss Omer Riza says he was pleased to see forward Isaak Davies score as he made his first start of the season for the Bluebirds.

Riza was disappointed with the manner of his side's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, but praised goalscorer Davies who found the net in his first start of an injury-hit campaign.

The Wales under-21 international has returned from a serious hamstring issue and has also seen his contract extended until 2026 in a campaign where he has featured just four times.

"Isaak has been out a long time injured, he's got himself back, he's got a new contact now as well and it was nice to see him out there," Riza told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"That was the plan today, to let him go out and open up and he's quick and aggressive on that top line and he's followed it in well and got a goal and I am pleased for him.

"We've got youngsters coming through and doing well and that's a positive, but winning games is more important at the minute."

Riza was upset after a late freekick routine saw Wales international defender Chris Mepham score the winner for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

"In open play they didn't cause us a problem," Riza said.

"The goal came from a set-piece where we had to do better and we didn't and we got punished for it.

"To let in a goal from a soft freekick is highly disappointing and frustrating."

Cardiff are now four points above the Championship relegation zone and next face Luton who are in the bottom three.

"We should have picked up a point against Burnley [in midweek] and today and we haven't done it, it's disappointing," Riza added.

"We've still got a lot of tough games left and we've got to win them."

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Omer Riza insists Cardiff City are going to Sunderland in search of victory this afternoon (15:00 GMT) as they look to follow Hull City's lead by winning at the Stadium of Light.

The promotion-chasing Black Cats had been unbeaten at home in the Championship all season until relegation-threatened Hull upset Sunderland on their patch a fortnight ago.

Cardiff face a potentially key home game against another side in the relegation scrap, Luton Town, next Tuesday.

But Riza has rejected the suggestion that he might prioritise the Luton fixture, insisting Cardiff will target victory on Wearside.

"The focus is for us is taking as many points as we can from every game," Riza added.

"It's about us trying to maintain our values our principles, and how we want to play."

Cardiff are a place above the relegation zone heading into the weekend's games, five points clear of 22nd-placed Luton.

The Hatters face a tough trip to Burnley on Saturday, with Plymouth Argyle, who are 23rd, at home to Sheffield Wednesday and bottom-club Derby County hosting Blackburn Rovers.

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Sunderland bounced back from their defeat to Hull by winning at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, meaning Regis Le Bris' team are eight points short of the automatic promotion places in fourth.

"Sunderland are a good young side," Riza said.

"They have Jobe Bellingham who I have worked with at England and is doing really well this year.

"They are energetic, robust considering their ages. They play good football and are defensively solid, so it will be a tough game for us."

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Sivert Mannsverk reckons Cardiff City "should not even be close" to the Championship relegation scrap based on the talent within Omer Riza's squad.

Cardiff, in 21st, are five points clear of the bottom three going into Saturday's tricky trip to Sunderland.

The Bluebirds suffered a first league defeat in four games against high-flying Burnley in midweek, though victory over relegation rivals Hull 10 days ago was Cardiff's only success in their past six second-tier games.

But Mannsverk, 22, has seen enough since arriving on loan from Ajax in January to convince him that Riza's men will avoid the drop.

"I think we have all been talking about the quality in this squad," the Norwegian said.

"We know the quality is probably higher than being in a relegation battle - that's what I have noticed as well.

"But the situation is probably what's been going on since the start of the season - we have had some games where we could have got some more points."

After taking on fourth-placed Sunderland, Cardiff face a potentially pivotal game against Luton – the side currently in 22nd – next Tuesday before another tricky away fixture at Blackburn Rovers in eight days' time.

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"We have to accept the situation and know with the quality in the squad, we can have a good week and go into the international break with a good feeling," Mannsverk added.

"I see the quality in this group, it should not even be close to relegation."

Despite Cardiff's struggles, Mannsverk is savouring his spell in Wales.

He has so far managed seven appearances for the Championship club having faced two significant injury lay-offs while at Ajax.

When asked about the chances of making a permanent move to Cardiff, Mannsverk said: "I think in respect for the club that owns me, I don't want to talk about my future now.

"But I am really happy here and I am enjoying playing again, which is the most important thing for me because when you have been out for a long time you are always looking for this."

Cardiff City, fresh from a loss to third placed Burnley, will make the trip up to the Stadium of Light on Saturday (15:00 GMT) to take on fourth placed Sunderland.

The Bluebirds are five points clear of the relegation zone but only hover one place above Luton Town in 22nd.

While Sunderland are on the chase for automatic promotion after a win against Sheffield Wednesday put a stop to a two-game losing run, but have now drifted eight points shy of a place in the top two.

• Sunderland have won each of their last two league games against Cardiff City and could win three in succession for the first time since October 1922.

• Cardiff City have won each of their last three away league games against Sunderland, as many victories as across their prior 15 matches combined against the Black Cats (D6 L6).

• After going unbeaten in their first 16 home league games this season, Sunderland lost 1-0 to Hull last time out at the Stadium of Light. They last suffered consecutive home defeats in their final two home games of last season.

• Cardiff have won just one of their last 19 away Championship matches (D9 L9) and have picked up just three points in five games (D3 L2) since their last away win on 29 December against Watford.

• Jobe Bellingham made his 100th Championship appearance in Sunderland's 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, becoming the second teenager to play 100+ games since the 2004 rebrand, along with Will Hughes (121). He's also the first player born after the first Championship games on 7 August 2004 to make 100 Championship appearances.