Brentford vs Cardiff City
Venue: Griffin Park
Date: Saturday, 14th March 2015, 3:00pm
Cardiff City are back on the road this weekend as they travel down the M4 to face Brentford. This is the first time the Bluebirds visit Griffin Park for a competitive fixture since March 2003.
CARDIFF CITY PLAYER
For those who can’t make it to Griffin Park, you can listen in live on Bluebirds Player from 2:50pm.
The Bluebirds will be looking to avenge the defeat suffered at the hands of Brentford in December, with Mark Denham and Ashley James sharing all the action via the Bluebirds Player website and App.
Bluebirds Player subscribers will also be able to view the full 90 minutes of action from Griffin Park immediately after 12pm on Sunday.
Search ‘FLI Player’ on the App Store or Google Play Store to download and App for free, with content available to subscribers 24/7.
You can subscribe to exclusive content on Bluebirds Player for as little as £4.00 per month.
For a preview of Russell's pre-Brentford media conference, click the link below. The full conference can be viewed now, on Cardiff City Player
MATCH FACTS
- Cardiff City are unbeaten in their last four away fixtures recording two wins in the process
- Brentford are without defeat in their last five at home including four victories
- City have the superior head-to-head tally with 17 wins compared to the Bees’ 13 triumphs
- There has not been a goalless draw in the last 28 meetings in a run stretching 65 years
- The Bluebirds last visit to Griffin Park was a 2-0 win in 2003, with Scott Young and Robert Earnshaw grabbing the goals
KEY OPPOSITION PLAYER: Andre Gray
Gray joined the Bees from Luton Town in the summer transfer window and proved an instant success scoring in friendlies against Barnet and Nice before netting 12 times in 34 Championship starts. The former England C international has been a vital edition to Mark Warburton’s squad and was rewarded for his efforts with the Championship Player of the Month Award for November. Since leaving Shrewsbury Town in 2010, the striker has averaged a rate of just under a goal every two games. His most successful period was at Luton with 52 goals in 97 appearances. Gray’s last goal came in a 4-0 win over Blackpool on the 24 February.
ONE TO WATCH: Jon Toral
Andre Gray’s last goal may have come against Blackpool but in the same fixture Jon-Miguel Toral scored three from midfield. The Arsenal loanee also scored in Brentford’s 4-1 win at home to Huddersfield in the last round of Championship fixtures. With four goals in his last three games the former Barcelona academy product could prove to be a danger come Saturday afternoon.
RECENT FORM (ALL COMPETITIONS)
Cardiff City: DDWLWL
Last time out: Cardiff City 1-2 Charlton Athletic – Saturday, 7th March 2015, Sky Bet Championship
A promising performance from the Bluebirds ended with a late sucker-punch as Charlton dispatched a penalty to win 2-1 at Cardiff City Stadium. Federico Macheda had given City a deserved lead after 56 minutes turning in Kenwyne Jones knock back. Late goals from Tony Watt and a Yoni Buyens penalty denied Slade’s men a share of the spoils in what was a hotly contested Championship encounter at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Cardiff City: Moore, Peltier, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Connolly, Gunnarsson (Ralls), Whittingham, Noone, McAleny (Kennedy), Jones, Macheda (Revell). Subs Not Used: Wilson, Fabio, Doyle, O’Keefe.
Brentford: LWWLWD
Last time out: Ipswich Town 1-1 Brentford – Saturday, 7th March 2015, Sky Bet Championship
Brentford came from behind to pick up a vital point at Portman Road. Daryl Murphy scored his 22nd goal of the season for the Tractor Boys before Jonathan Douglas nodded the equaliser after 25 minutes. The draw meant that Ipswich missed the chance to leapfrog the visitors in the table as Brentford remained one point and one place above them in sixth.
Brentford: Button, Odubajo, Tarkowski, Moore (Dean), Bidwell, Diagouraga, Douglas, Dallas, Pritchard, Judge (Peleteiro Ramallo), Gray (Long). Subs Not Used: McCormack, Bonham, Toral, Peleteiro Ramallo, Smith.
LAST COMPETITIVE MEETING
2014/15: Saturday, 20th December, Championship: Cardiff City 2-3 Brentford
An slow start to the first-half costly as Brentford ended the home side’s unbeaten run at Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds left themselves too much to do as they found themselves 3-0 down just thirty-three minutes in. Goals from Alex Pritchard, Andre Gray and Jota handed Mark Warburton’s side a commanding lead at the break, before a Cardiff side buoyed by substitute Kenwyne Jones pulled two back in the second period; ultimately falling just short of completing what would have been a memorable comeback. It was Jones’ goal that followed Craig Noone’s first which made for an edgy final quarter of an hour, but Brentford held on for the three points that took them third.
Cardiff City: Marshall ©, Brayford, Fábio (John), Ecuele Manga, Turner, Whittingham, Le Fondre, Noone, Macheda (Jones), Gunnarsson, Harris. Subs Not Used: Moore, Connolly, Adeyemi, Ralls, Morrison.
Brentford: Button, Bidwell, Craig ©, Dean, Douglas (Toral), Odubajo, Judge, Gray (Smith), Diagouraga, Pritchard, Jota (Dallas). Subs Not Used: Bonham, Saunders, Tarko.
