Cardiff City

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.

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Burnley boss Scott Parker says Cardiff City "are in a false position" in the Championship.

The Bluebirds became the first side to score a league goal against Burnley in 13 matches as they were beaten 2-1 by the Clarets at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday.

The result keeps Burnley in the hunt for automatic promotion - and means Cardiff slip to just one place outside of the relegation zone.

However, former England international Parker says the Welsh side have good qualities.

"This is a tough place to come and I think the table is probably a misrepresentation of where Cardiff are to be quite honest with you, because they're a good side. I think we see that in elements [of the game]," he said.

"We've prided ourselves on being rock solid, but our overall focus is winning games.

"Winning is what it is all about now. Cardiff are fighting down there and we expected a tough game and they provided that.

"The momentum swung in the back-end of the game. We needed to hit the reserve button to get out of it and we did that."

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Cardiff City boss Omer Riza wants his side to show their own defensive improvements when they take on clean sheet experts Burnley.

The Bluebirds welcome Scott Parker's promotion chasers to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) after both were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend.

While Cardiff bowed out of the fifth round to Premier League Aston Villa, Burnley were surprisingly knocked out by fellow Championship side Preston.

What was more surprising was the Clarets conceding three times given they are on course to break a whole host of defensive records, including having already kept 25 clean sheets in the league this season.

That includes a second-tier record 12 in a row as they prepare to head to south Wales, just two short of equalling Manchester United's consecutive shut-out record of 14.

They have conceded just nine Championship goals all term - Chelsea hold English football's league record with 15 in 2004-05.

Cardiff have had their struggles at the back – including shipping seven against Leeds United at the start of last month – with only three sides conceding more than their 55 so far this term.

However, Riza was keen to point out his side's eye-catching display as they held Champions League-level opposition at bay for 68 minutes at Villa Park.

"We've been doing well – we've lost two in 12 – so our run's been okay," said Riza, whose side go into the game five points and two places above the bottom three.

"So we're working off something solid and the boys have proved their levels of defensive focus against a very good Premier League side who are in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

"We can take heart from that. Burnley is a tough game against a side who don't concede many goals, but we go into it with a lot of confidence.

"If we are solid and focussed and don't concede goals, we have proven we have the potential to score goals – and that's what we are looking to do."

Cardiff have only kept four clean sheets themselves in the league this season but the last was only a week ago in a significant home win over fellow strugglers Hull City.

And Riza is keen for the positives and pride found in a defiant display at Villa to be taken into their final 12 games of the campaign, saying: "The momentum we've gained from the cup run for the league has been great with respect to our confidence levels. We're out now and our focus is on the league and we'll take the positives into it.

"Our performance levels have been good and we've been unlucky at times picking up one point instead of all three.

"The defensive focus is something we'll take into the league because we've proven we can do it. "

On-loan Leicester City winger Will Alves could return from injury to feature while midfielder Alex Robertson should be available after making his fitness comeback off the bench at Villa.

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His debut was hailed as "brilliant" by a Cardiff City icon and he is a regular in an impressive Wales youth side full of future talent.

And now Bluebirds boss Omer Riza has admitted Dylan Lawlor has become a first-team option after being "surprised" by the 19-year-old's eye-catching display at Premier League Aston Villa.

Lawlor had not played a minute of senior football before he was thrown in against Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins in Friday night's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Villa Park.

Despite the 2-0 defeat, former Cardiff City striker Nathan Blake said there were plenty of positives to take as Cardiff turn their focus back to their Championship survival bid – with Lawlor's performance one of them.

Criticised in recent years for failing to produce enough first-team players, Cardiff fielded six academy products at Villa (not including long-established graduate Aaron Ramsey), with Lawlor in a backline containing Wales Under-19 team-mate Luey Giles.

"He was superb," Riza said of Caerphilly-born Lawlor, who joined the club at the age of seven.

"He surprised me a little bit today with some of the things he did. I know he is a good-quality player and in possession he is really good, and he was very calm and collected.

"But I thought, defensively, he picked up good positions, dealt with one-on-one situations, read the game well. It was a brilliant debut."

Lawlor has had to bide his time at club level but has been part of Chris Gunter's Under-19 team that has reached the Elite group of their European Championship qualifiers alongside Manchester United hot prospect Gabrielle Biancheri.

He was also part of the Wales Under-17 side that reached the Euro finals two years ago, scoring the goal to seal qualification.

Lawlor described his debut as "surreal" but Riza hinted he could now experience more opportunities having had recent availability problems at the back.

"We have had Jesper's [Daland] injury, Will [Fish] hasn't played loads of minutes and he's again played two 90s in a row, Goutas was suspended; we have had a few issues in that position, so it's a good option to have," he said.

"Joel Bagan can do it and Perry can fill in but it's just nice for him [Lawlor]."

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Cardiff City manager Omer Riza says the youngsters coming through the squad will be good for both the Bluebirds and for Wales.

Riza handed a debut to 19-year-old Welsh defender Dylan Lawlor in the FA Cup fifth round against Aston Villa on Friday - one of five Welsh players under the age of 24 to feature.

Luey Giles, Isaak Davies, Rubin Colwill and Cian Ashford completed the contingent of young Welsh players to feature in the 2-0 defeat.

Will Fish, Alex Robertson, Yousef Salech and Joel Bagan also played at Villa Park, as nine different Cardiff players younger than 24 played a part.

"They are all working hard and I will give players the opportunity if they work hard and deserve it," said Riza.

"I won't give them the opportunity if they don't, that's not just the Welsh boys that is all the players.

"The boys have been brilliant, it's lovely to see. It's good for the club and good for Wales."

Despite ultimately losing against Aston Villa, the Bluebirds made their Premier League opponents work for the win.

Cardiff had kept the game goalless until 68 minutes in, when Marco Asensio finally gave the Villians the lead.

Asensio's second goal 12 minutes later sealed the win, but Riza took plenty of positives from the Cardiff performance.

"In general we have dealt with a really good side, and done well for most of the game," said Riza.

"I think the momentum we have gained from the cup run has been great for confidence levels."

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Cardiff City manager Omer Riza was glad to leave Hull City "deflated" after his team's crucial win over their Championship relegation rivals.

Cardiff ground out a 1-0 win on Tuesday to overtake their opponents and climb up to 19th place in the table, overtaking the Tigers to move six points clear of the bottom three.

The fact that Hull dropped down to 21st position – just three points above the drop zone – added to the Bluebirds' celebrations as they stole a march in the race for survival.

"The amount of psychological blows we've had against teams over the last couple of months and we've still managed to go to Middlesbrough and get a draw, go to Watford and win," said Riza.

"You could see how deflated they were when we scored the goal because they needed two to win the game.

"They still kept going, probing, but it's always hard when you're 1-0 down, it's deflating for them. I think that was a really good, really important three points for us."

Cardiff were not at their best against Hull but winning in those circumstances was pleasing in its own way for Riza, whose side have often failed to get the results that their better performances have warranted this season.

"I don't think we played well. We did what we needed to do, that's important, we showed that resilience and that togetherness," Riza added.

"They didn't cause too many problems, but I'm just happy to grind out a result and an important three points."

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Iwan Roberts says Cardiff City must be wary of Hull City's sparkling away form as they prepare to face their fellow Championship strugglers on Tuesday.

Hull visit the Cardiff City Stadium in what is a game in hand on all three sides in the second tier's bottom three for both the Bluebirds and the Tigers.

Cardiff are three points and one place outside the relegation zone going into the game, with Hull above their opponents on goal difference.

Omer Riza's Cardiff are without a win in their past four matches, though they are unbeaten in five on their own ground.

But they take on a Hull side who have a far better record on their travels than they do at their own MKM Stadium this season.

"It's only three wins in 20 league games for Cardiff and they have drawn six of their last 10. That's why they are not more points clear of the bottom three," former Wales striker turned pundit Roberts told BBC Radio Wales.

"They have the game in hand at home on Tuesday. It's a massive game.

"If you look at Hull away from home, they have won four of the last five. Those wins have come at Blackburn, Millwall, Sheffield United and Sunderland on Saturday.

"So that is going to be a tough game for Omer and the boys."

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Anthony Patterson's own goal was enough to earn Hull their shock weekend triumph at Sunderland.

That was their sixth away league win this season compared to just two victories at home, one of which was in Riza's game as Cardiff boss back in September.

Cardiff head into the return fixture having secured a point at Plymouth Argyle despite losing Dimitrios Goutas to a red card early in the second half.

While Cardiff had hoped to claim victory against another of their relegation rivals, Roberts felt the draw was a positive result.

"When you look at Plymouth's form at home, that's why they have not been relegated already," he said.

"They were going into this game having won their last three at home and they'd beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup. I think it was a good point."

There's plenty at stake at the foot of the table as Cardiff welcome fellow strugglers Hull City on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

The Bluebirds lie 21st, one place and three points above the relegation zone, and behind the Tigers on goal difference alone - with the three sides below them having each played a game more.

The hosts are unbeaten in five home matches dating back to 21 December, though have picked up just two points from their past four Championship games, while the visitors are seeking to follow-up their eye-catching 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday.

• Cardiff City have lost each of their past seven league games against Hull City since a 3-0 win in July 2020. Over that stint, the Bluebirds have conceded 17 goals in total.

• Hull City have won each of their past three away league games against Cardiff City, and will be looking to win four in succession for the first time in the EFL.

• Cardiff are unbeaten in their past five home league games (W2 D3); the Bluebirds had lost four in a row at home in the Championship before this.

• Hull have lost each of their past four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games, last losing more in succession from March 2013 to May 2014 (run of 10).

• Hull have won each of their past three Championship games against Welsh clubs, including two against Cardiff (3-1 in April 2024, 4-1 in September 2024). The Tigers last won four league games in a row versus Welsh opposition in March 2017.