Swans, Wrexham & Bluebirds Back in Action For Demanding Tuesday Night Tests
IT promises to be another fascinating evening of Championship football for Wales on Tuesday, October 13, with Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham all in action — although the three clubs have rather different ambitions as the season gathers momentum.
While Swansea are flying high at the top of the division, Wrexham are attempting to build a challenge for the play-off places and Cardiff are looking for the victories that would ease concerns at the opposite end of the table.
For Welsh football followers, it is an opportunity to assess the contrasting fortunes of three clubs competing in one of the most demanding leagues in the game.
Cardiff City entertain Watford at the Cardiff City Stadium in a meeting between two sides very much in need of points.
Brian Barry-Murphy’s Bluebirds returned from the international break with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Goals from Andri Guðjohnsen and Todd Cantwell gave Blackburn a commanding first-half advantage before Callum Robinson pulled one back early in the second period.
Cardiff remain 21st in the Championship, having collected just seven points from their opening nine matches, although their form on home soil has been considerably more encouraging than their away performances.
Indeed, the Bluebirds are unbeaten in their four home league matches this season, including a welcome 3-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in September.
Watford arrive in south Wales just one place and one point above Cardiff after an equally difficult opening to the campaign. The Hornets suffered a crushing 4-0 home defeat against Burnley on Saturday and have lost five of their last six Championship matches.
With the two clubs occupying 20th and 21st positions, the importance of Tuesday’s encounter will not be lost on either manager.
Meanwhile, Swansea City travel to The Den to face Millwall, with the Swans enjoying a very different start to the campaign.
Vítor Matos’s side lead the Championship following Saturday’s impressive 2-1 comeback victory against Norwich City at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Norwich had taken a first-half lead through Jacob Wright, but second-half goals from Moussa Kounfolo Yeo and Adam Idah completed the turnaround and ensured that Swansea maintained their position at the summit.
The Swans have now recorded three successive league victories, having also beaten Burnley and Lincoln City, and will be determined to keep their impressive run going in the capital.
Millwall, however, will present a difficult challenge. Alex Neil’s team returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 1-0 victory at Preston North End and will be hoping to make home advantage count.
Swansea supporters have every reason to be encouraged by their team’s start, although the Championship has a habit of producing unexpected results, particularly during the demanding schedule of autumn fixtures.
Further north, Wrexham welcome West Bromwich Albion to the STōK Cae Ras, seeking to turn encouraging performances into more consistent results.
Phil Parkinson’s team returned from Derby County with a 1-1 draw on Saturday, courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser from Oliver Rathbone, who struck in the 88th minute after Sam Szmodics had given the hosts an early lead.
Wrexham have now drawn five of their opening nine Championship matches, leaving them in 15th place with 11 points. The results demonstrate how competitive they have been, but also underline the importance of turning some of those narrow contests into victories.
West Brom arrive in ninth position, three points ahead of Wrexham, having suffered consecutive defeats. A home victory would therefore provide Parkinson’s team with a timely boost and bring them closer to the leading pack.
The Racecourse Ground has become one of the most recognisable football venues in the world thanks to the extraordinary rise of Wrexham under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
However, it is results on the pitch that matter most, and the Welsh club will be hoping to give their supporters another memorable evening under the floodlights.
***
Where can I watch the games?
All three matches kick off at 7.45pm on Tuesday, October 13, and will be available to watch live in the UK through Sky Sports+.
Supporters outside the UK should consult their local Championship broadcasting arrangements, as coverage varies between countries.
***
Did Ewe Know?
What price an all-Welsh Premier League invasion? Swansea City, Cardiff City and Wrexham are all competing in the Championship this season, raising the extraordinary possibility of all three winning promotion together.
Early October bookmakers’ prices had Swansea at 5/1, Wrexham at 13/2 and Cardiff at 66/1 to go up individually. Multiply those odds together and you get an eye-watering figure of around 3,000/1 — although that is only a mathematical illustration, not an actual betting price.
Swansea and Cardiff last shared the Premier League stage in 2013–14, while Wrexham have never played in the competition. Imagine all three getting there at once!