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Swansea City and Cardiff City draw the curtains on round 12 of the EFL Championship when they square off at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.
The game has all the makings of a proper contest as both sides, who have endured a rough start to the season, are currently level on 11 points at the wrong end of the table.
Swansea City continue to drop points in the EFL Championship as they were held to an uneventful goalless draw by rock-bottom Derby County last time out.
Prior to that, the Swans suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Fulham, when Alexandr Mitrovic put in a superb first-half performance as he netted a hat-trick.
With 11 points from 11 games, Swansea City are currently 19th on the log, level on points with Sunday’s visitors.
Meanwhile, Cardiff were left empty handed once again courtesy of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Reading last time out.
Mick McCarthy’s men have now lost all but one of their most recent eight outings, with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on 12 August being the only exception.
This dire run of results has in no small part been due to their struggles at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have shipped the second-most league goals (19).
Swansea City vs Cardiff City Head-To-Head
Swansea City boast a superior record in the history of this fixture, claiming 29 wins from their previous 70 meetings. Cardiff City have picked up 23 wins, while 18 games have ended all square.
Swansea City Form Guide (all competitions): D-L-W-L-D
Cardiff City Form Guide (all competitions): L-L-L-L-L
Swansea City vs Cardiff City Team News
Swansea City
The hosts will be without the services of Michael Obafemi, Oliver Ntcham and Ryan Bennett, who have all been sidelined through injuries.
Injured: Michael Obafemi, Oliver Ntcham, Ryan Bennett
Suspended: None
Cardiff City
Issac Vassell remains the only absentee for the Bluebirds heading into the game, after the Englishman tested positive for COVID-19.
Injured: None
Unavailable: Issac Vassell
Suspended: None
Swansea City vs Cardiff City Predicted XI
Swansea City Predicted XI (3-4-3): Ben Hamer; Benjamin Cabango, Kyle Naughton, Ryan Manning; Jake Bidwell, Matt Grimes, Flynn Downes, Ethan Laird; Jamie Paterson, Jay Fulton, Joel Piroe
Cardiff City Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Curtis Nelson, Aden Flint, Sean Morrison; Ciaron Brown, Marlon Pack, Will Vaulks, Rubin Colwill; Leandro Bacuna; James Collins, Kieffer Moore
Swansea City vs Cardiff City Prediction
Both sides have stumbled into the new season and currently find themselves battling deep in the bottom half of the table after a string of underwhelming performances. However, the hosts are unbeaten at home this season and we predict they will come away with the win and heap more misery on the visitors.
Prediction: Swansea City 2-1 Cardiff City
