Cardiff - Ipswich
25.04 16:00
Cardiff’s form in the recent weeks have gone downhill and for the first time this season they seem like a team with lots of troubles. They have six points advantage over the seventh-placed Swansea squad, but when taken into account the story they were a promotion candidate just a few weeks ago, Dave Jones might feel a bit more frustrated as they now seemed very unserious in that attempt. Until a few weeks ago, it all seemed perfect, but a catastrophic defeat (6:0) to Preston have turned on the alarm that has still not been turned off even after slim 2:2 against already relegated Charlton. This will also be the last Cardiff’s league match at their Ninian Park as they’re moving to the new stadium. Cardiff will again be able to count on Michael Chopru, Jay Bothroyd and Stuart Taylor who all recovered from injuries. However, things are not so bright when talking about Kevin McNaighton and Mark Kennedy, who will be doing a late fitness check.
A new beginning
Ipswich have recorded a 3:2 win over their biggest rivals Norwich past weekend, but that wasn’t enough for Jim Magilton to keep his job. Club owner Marcus Evans has decided that he simply hasn’t made enough of a progress this season since really a lot of money have been invested in the squad over the last summer. If that wasn’t shocking enough – hiring Roy Keane surely was. It’s obvious we’re talking about a high-profile manager as he already managed to get Sunderland to Premiership in his first season as a coach, so Ipswich fans should be pretty satisfied his team will be led by someone with such high ambitions. Ipswich lost all the chances to find themselves in the promotion playoffs and the position they have now isn’t good enough for the hungry club owners, so this might be the best moment for a new start. Roy Keane will face a few problems at his debut as he will definitely be without Ben Thatcher and David Wright, while Gareth McAuley and Jon Walters are questionable, menaing that Keane will have to be a bit more creative.
Fireworks at the closure
This will be a very emotional day for all Cardiff fans as they’re saying goodbye to Ninian Park, but the most of media attention will probably be on Roy Keane who will be leading Ipswich. Both teams are gonna want to win but due to completely different reasons. Cardiff want to get their confidence back before the playoffs, while Ipswich are gonna want to impress their new team manager, and that is why we could be expecting a match where both sides will play just to score a goal more than their opponent.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals, Odds 1.85
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