Match Previews

Matchday 31 | Albion v Cardiff City preview

WBA and Cardiff badges with an image of Mikey Johnston in the home shirt smiling at the camera to the right of the home match preview graphic

Albion take on Cardiff City at The Hawthorns in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday night (ko 8pm).

The Baggies, who drew 2-2 at fourth-placed Ipswich Town on Saturday lunchtime, are on the hunt for a fifth straight home win in the second tier.

Visitors Cardiff City have slipped down the division in recent months having lost seven of their 12 league matches since the reverse fixture against Carlos Corberán's side in November. 

Jeremy Sarmiento's solitary strike was the difference that night in South Wales. 

Albion are back under the B71 lights in midweek
Albion are back under the B71 lights in midweek

Follow the fixture live

Supporters can listen to live audio commentary of the Baggies' battle with the Bluebirds.

Gez Mulholland and former Baggie Andy Johnson will provide live commentary from The Hawthorns, with coverage starting at 7.50pm.

Audio passes are available to purchase here.

Details for video streaming on WBA TV will be available here from Monday afternoon onwards.

Supporters are kindly asked to direct any questions or complaints about WBA TV or WBA Radio to wbatvsupport@streamamg.com.

The club are unable to answer queries about WBA TV or WBA Radio sent to fans@wbafc.co.uk or myalbion@wbafc.co.uk.

Regular updates will also be posted across the club's social media channels throughout the night.

WBA TV matchday information graphic featuring Brandon Thomas-Asante cheering and Jed Wallace throwing popcorn.

The opponents

Cardiff City made a really promising start to the 2023/24 campaign but a worrying run of results has seen them drop out of the top half and into 14th position ahead of their midweek trip to the West Midlands.

The Bluebirds were beaten 2-0 by Preston North End in front of their own supporters on Saturday afternoon - a fourth defeat in five in all competitions. 

The side from the Welsh capital have only tasted victory in four of their last 14 fixtures in all competitions and will be keen to swing positive momentum back in their favour pretty quickly, with a spot in the top six come May not entirely out of the question.

Erol Bulut's boys are seven points adrift of sixth-placed Coventry City, however they do have one game in hand on a number of the clubs above them.

Bulut, a 49-year-old former Fenerbahce and Olympiakos full-back in his playing days, was appointed in the summer and has a record of 13 wins, five draws and 16 defeats during his time as the boss at the Cardiff City Stadium. 

Only six teams in the second tier have collected more points on their travels than Cardiff's 20 from 15 encounters. They head to The Hawthorns having won three of their last four in the Championship on the road, boasting recent triumphs at Watford, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

Cardiff City players in a huddle after scoring a goal
The Bluebirds are targeting another away win on Tuesday

One to remember

Simon Cox helped himself to an FA Cup hat-trick at The Hawthorns against Cardiff City in January 2012.

The former Republic of Ireland international's treble came in a 4-2 victory, with Peter Odemwingie also on target.

Ex-Baggie Robert Earnshaw scored for Cardiff, as did Joe Mason.

Supporters can watch the highlights from that afternoon below.

The last five

Cardiff City 0-1 Albion

November 28 2023, Sky Bet Championship

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Cardiff City 1-1 Albion

March 15 2023, Sky Bet Championship

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Albion 0-0 Cardiff City

August 17 2022, Sky Bet Championship

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Albion 1-1 Cardiff City

January 2 2022, Sky Bet Championship

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Cardiff City 0-4 Albion

September 28 2021, Sky Bet Championship

Jeremy Sarmiento celebrates scoring against Cardiff City
Jeremy Sarmiento's strike secured three points in South Wales back in November

Did you know?

Tuesday's clash with Cardiff will be the sixth occasion out of the last seven where this fixture has been played on a weeknight, and fourth in-a-row.

The only exception in that particular sequence was the 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns on Sunday, January 2 in 2022. 

Albion have the chance to extend their unbeaten run against the Bluebirds to six matches, having won two and drawn three of the previous five.

Cardiff's last win over the Baggies was a 2-1 triumph in the Welsh capital in January 2020. 

 

Conor Townsend on the ball against Cardiff in August 2022
Conor Townsend in action against Cardiff at The Hawthorns in August 2022

Ticket details

Albion supporters can take advantage of two special ticket offers when Cardiff City and Southampton visit The Hawthorns next week.

The Bluebirds come to town on Tuesday, February 13 (ko 8pm), while Russell Martin’s Saints visit on Friday, February 16 (ko 8pm).

For both Sky Bet Championship games, season ticket holders can bring a guest with them at a cost of only £10, and under-16 tickets are also priced just £1.

Seats can be secured online, in person from the East Stand Ticket Office, or by calling 0121 227 2227.

Normal matchday prices apply for all other categories - £28 Adults, £23 seniors, £17 for supporters aged 20-25, and £12 for supporters aged 17-19.

An adult disabled supporter ticket is priced £18 and includes free access for a personal assistant.

When buying online, supporters will need to be logged into their My Albion account linked to their ticketing ID. Click here for instructions.

Please note, Baggies fans purchasing online and opting to use the 'WBA Tickets On The Go' app will not pay any additional fees, while supporters who opt to purchase match tickets in-person or choose to collect from the club’s ticket office will be charged a £1.75 transaction fee.

A ticket graphic displaying information for Albion's game against Cardiff

Fan Zone

The Fan Zone will be closed ahead of kick-off on Tuesday.

A general view of plenty of Albion fans watching their team in action at The Hawthorns

Travel information 

Transport for West Midlands have advised the club there will be weeknight closures on the M5 between Junction 1 and 2 from Tuesday, February 13 until Friday, February 16. 

The M5 southbound at Junction 1 will close promptly at 11pm on each night.

Supporters are advised to bear this in mind when travelling home after Albion's clash with Cardiff City.

A view of a floodlight at The Hawthorns with a grey sky above
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