Preview | Swansea City v Cardiff City

25th August
Swansea.com Stadium

Swansea City and Cardiff City lock horns in the latest instalment of the south Wales derby this afternoon (3pm).

Another chapter will be written in a rivalry dating back 112 years when the hosts look to continue their strong recent form in the fixture.

Swansea have won five of the last six meetings in SA1, and have conceded just one goal on home turf against their rivals since 2011.

The Swans have taken a win and a defeat from their two league games so far, while the visitors are seeking their first three-point haul.

 

Team news

Joe Allen

The Swans have Joe Allen fit and available for selection as the midfielder returns from injury.

Andy Fisher, Aimar Govea, Sam Parker and Josh Ginnelly are sidelined for the hosts.

Cardiff have Aaron Ramsey available after he suffered an ankle injury in the defeat at Burnley.

 

Pre-match views

Luke Williams: “We are desperate to win because we want to experience that ecstasy again, so there are many reasons why we want to have a great performance and a great day.

“I know how much this means here, how much it means to me, to the players and, most importantly, how much it means to our fans, because I am pretty sure I met every single one of them last time.

“We cannot guarantee anything, you can play great and lose or you can play poorly and win. That’s the nature of football sometimes.

“But what I can guarantee you is, we know what it means.”

 

Erol Bulut: “Last season, I had enough conversations with fans on the street and when I went out to restaurants.

"I know what this means to the fans, for the club, for us. This is not only a derby, it’s a great derby. 

"When I remember at home, the win against Swansea, it’s one of the biggest derbies. It’s always good to win them, it doesn’t matter how. You have to win it.

"We are analysing the opponent and they analyse us. We have to get our first goal. The first two games, we had chances, but we have to finish them. 

"No other game could be better than this game to change our fortunes."

 

Meet the officials

Oliver Langford is the man in the middle for this afternoon's game.

You can find out more about the Midlands official and his team here.

 

Remember the last time?

Liam Cullen and Jamal Lowe got the goals as Swansea City deservedly took the south Wales derby bragging rights with victory over Cardiff City at the Swansea.com Stadium back in March.

The Swans – seeking a fifth win in six derby meetings – completely dominated the opening half and deservedly led when Cullen adjusted smartly to guide a deep cross into the bottom corner.

The striker would miss a penalty after the break, while the hosts also passed up other opportunities to extend their lead.

But they still prevailed, seeing out rare Cardiff pressure during the closing stages before Lowe struck deep in stoppage time to double their lead.

The win ensured Swansea remained the only side to have completed a league double in the 112-year history of the fixture, and sparked scenes of celebration between players, staff and the Jack Army at the full-time whistle.

It was no less than the hosts deserved for a fine all-round team display, again mixing an attacking threat with defensive resilience. 

 

Prime numbers

Matt Grimes Cele Preston

7 - Matt Grimes has skippered Swansea to seven wins in the south Wales derby. No Swans player has more victories to their name.

11 - In winning five of the last six derbies in SA1, the Swans have enjoyed an 11-1 aggregate scoreline.