Looking to record their fifth-straight victory across all competitions, Coventry City will welcome a stuttering Cardiff City side to the Coventry Building Society Arena on Monday afternoon in the Championship.
The Sky Blues are racing towards the top six following a win at Huddersfield Town last time out, whilst the Bluebirds are marooned in mid-table after a home defeat to Sunderland on Good Friday.
Match preview
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With an FA Cup semi-final battle against Manchester United to look forward to near the end of April, Coventry City resumed their Championship business following the international break in classy style, comfortably beating relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium on Good Friday.
A first-half brace from in-form marksman Ellis Simms fired the Sky Blues into a two-goal advantage in Yorkshire, and following Rhys Healey's first for the Terriers in the second period, the visitors made sure of maximum points on the afternoon courtesy of a Haji Wright goal in added-on time.
Having won their last four matches across the Championship and the FA Cup, Mark Robins's men now have the opportunity to achieve five-straight successes for the first time this season, with Coventry currently sitting in seventh, four points behind David Wagner's Norwich City in sixth.
The departure of Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon in the summer clearly hindered the Sky Blues' early-season form, but the two men that were recruited to replicate the goalscoring antics of the towering Swede have found their stride at the perfect time, with American Wright and ex-Everton man Simms both targeting 20-goal returns this campaign.
Robins's charges have been mightily impressive at their East Midlands base over the past two months, winning four successive fixtures at the CBS Arena by an aggregate scoreline of 16-2, including back-to-back 5-0 wins over Maidstone United and League One-bound Rotherham United.
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Following Wales' heartbreaking defeat to Poland in the Euro 2024 playoff final on Tuesday, it was more suffering for the hosts in South Wales on Good Friday, when Cardiff returned to action with a two-goal defeat at the hands of Sunderland, who tasted victory for the first time since the sacking of Michael Beale.
Netting his second goal of the Championship campaign, 21-year-old Adil Aouchiche held his nerve from 12 yards as the Black Cats hit the front during the opening 15 minutes, and the visitors had managed to double their advantage before the half-hour mark, with Jobe Bellingham breaching the goal of Ethan Horvath.
After four-straight wins across the end of February and the beginning of March, the Bluebirds have recorded back-to-back losses on either side of the international pause, meaning that their unlikely top-six charge is all but over, with Cardiff lying 11 points behind the Canaries in sixth.
Having only signed a one-year contract at the beginning of this season, Cardiff boss Erol Bulut is tumbling towards the end of his tenure in South Wales, and the Turkish coach has suggested that uncertainty around his future could be having an unwanted impact on his players.
The Bluebirds will be looking to do the double over Coventry following a five-goal thriller at the Cardiff City Stadium in September, when goals from Dimitrios Goutas, Karlan Grant and Kion Etete were enough to cancel out Matt Godden's brace for the visiting Sky Blues.
Team News
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Coventry have adapted well to life without the services of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, who is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a back injury.
With midfielder Jamie Allen also taking up a space in the medical room, the Sky Blues are expected to continue with a midfield duo of Ben Sheaf and Josh Eccles.
Kasey Palmer has been a standout performer in recent matches, with the Jamaica international doing enough to keep Callum O'Hare out of the starting XI on Good Friday.
After conceding four goals in their last two, the absence of Mark McGuinness is beginning to hurt Cardiff, with the imposing centre-back still recovering from a hamstring issue.
Failing to come off the bench during his country's match on Tuesday, Aaron Ramsey played the second half of the Bluebirds' defeat versus Sunderland, and it could be time for the Wales legend to make his first start since September.
Bulut could opt to make a number of attacking alterations in an attempt to solve his side's deficiencies in front of net, with the likes of Famara Diedhiou and Callum Robinson pushing for starts.
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Collins; Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Kitching; Van Ewijk, Eccles, Sheaf, Bidwell; Palmer, Wright, Simms
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Ng, Goutas, Phillips, Wilson-Esbrand; Ralls, Bowler, Ramsey, O'Dowda; Diedhiou, Robinson
We say: Coventry City 3-1 Cardiff City
Coventry have found their rhythm at a vital point in the season and should be very confident of extending their winning run versus Cardiff on Easter Monday.
The Bluebirds are marooned in mid-table, and with speculation around Bulut's future certainly not helping the players, we are expecting a defeat for the visitors in the East Midlands.
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Carter White
